


All I Ever Wanted

by Goth_Kitty



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Assault, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Family Issues, Family Loss, Family Member Death, Female Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Pregnancy, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Loving Marriage, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 05:01:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 38,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1766431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goth_Kitty/pseuds/Goth_Kitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU WWE. Starts in 1993 at Wrestlemania 9 & will go up to the present day WWE. Tara Adams (OC) joins the WWE as valet to her brother Brian "Crush" Adams. After a successful career in the WWE, the lose of her brother and a failed relationship which nearly kills her, Tara eventually ends up engaged to the last person she ever thought she would get together with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not WWE or any of the characters or gimmicks. I only own Tara Adams, my original character. I have put the rating as Teens. I did this more to be safe as I do not wish to upset anyone who has been a victim of knife crime. Also there are some mild references to drug use and domestic violence.

Prologue.

Tara-Mali Adams was sitting on the beach, looking out to sea, lost in her own thoughts. She was very different to that dark haired nineteen year old Hawaiian chick that had debuted at Wrestlemania Nine nearly twenty years ago as ringside support for her older brother, Brian “Crush” Adams. Had it really been that long since she started working for World Wrestling Entertainment? Although she had since lost her older brother and had a failed relationship with a former wrestler who turned into a drug addict and had very nearly taken her life. She closed her eyes and took a reassuring deep breath. She was determined not to let her thoughts wander to him ever again. It only made her feel upset every time she did. He'd caused far too much trouble and nearly ruined her life and career and she wasn't quite ready to do the whole forgiveness bit just yet. Tara-Mali was happily engaged to Dwayne Johnson, or 'The Rock' as the world knew him as, and she wasn't going to let the past affect that. 

Tara pulled her knees into herself, wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. It seemed that whenever she thought of Jeff Hardy, it brought back all the memories of everything that went wrong between them. Jeff had chosen drugs over her and it still hurt. Thankfully, he was still looked up in a high security nut house, mainly for his own safety, so she wouldn't have to worry about him.

Standing up, and deciding to quit brooding, Tara headed back up the beach to her Miami home she shared with Dwayne. She hadn't originally intended to stay in Miami. When her brother had died in 2007, she had gone to Tampa to help her sister-in-law deal with some legal stuff and generally keep her company. A brief trip to Miami to visit her friend had turned into a permanent stay when her friendship with Dwayne had turned into a serious relationship. It seemed that everyone had figured out Dwayne was in love with her long before Tara had figured it out for herself. Maybe it had been because he had been married when they initially met and Tara had only seen them being friends at that stage in their lives. But Tara was happier now than she had ever been and she didn't want to change that.

Chapter One.

It was January 1993. The nineteen year old Tara-Mali Adams had been signed up to the WWE (or WWF as it was then) to take part in the feud between her brother Brian “Crush” Adams and Doink The Clown. She was to appear at Wrestlemania Nine alongside her brother and be at ringside for him. Tara was as nervous as hell as she made her way Las Vegas for the Caesar's Palace event. Parking her car up, she headed for the hotel and got herself into her room. The room was incredibly expensive and luxurious looking, or at least it was in her opinion. Holy crap, is this how famous people live? Or is it just Las Vegas being flashy and camp? She thought as she put her suitcase down and wandered about the room. The bed looked like it was big enough to sleep four people and the bathroom was all faux white marble and faux gold, although she liked the look of the stand free bath tub. Shame I probably won't get the chance to appreciate it, she thought sulkily, making a mental note to maybe try and revisit one day.

The following day was the event itself and Tara got more and more nervous with each passing hour. She couldn't eat and didn't sleep very well that night. The following morning, Tara crawled out of bed, and took a hot shower, hoping it would relax her. It didn't, pissing Tara off even more. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she took a deep breath and stared back at the dark haired, green eyed Hawaiian girl looking back at her. Get a damn grip woman, she thought to herself, this is your big chance, don't screw it up. Grabbing her suitcase, she headed out of the door and went to the arena. Seeing her brother made things a little less scary.

“Hey Lilo, looking forward to today?” Lilo was Tara's nickname. It had started years before when their grandmother, due to Alzheimer's, had started calling Tara by the name Lilo. 

Tara frowned. “I would be if I wasn't bricking it right now.”

Brian grinned. “You'll be fine. But I know how you feel. My first appearance scared the crap out of me too.”

Tara didn't get much time to breath, let alone think, after that as she was accosted by make up and wardrobe to get her made up for the event. By the time they were finished, Tara was dressed in a red mini dress with black hand prints all over it and black knee boots. Her hair was tied up in a harsh looking ponytail. She hated it and her inner tomboy sulked and protested the entire time. But once the match was over, Tara was more than happy to be able to change back into her tatty jeans and punk band tee shirt and put her hair back into the two pigtails she'd had them in when she had first arrived at the arena. 

But despite the 'horrible' clothes, as she had later referred to the outfit, she loved the atmosphere. The fans were so wonderful, so enthusiastic, she could see herself enjoying this life. She watched the rest of the event backstage and did have the occasion attack of being star struck. She had spent a big part of the 1980s watching wrestling, watching the likes of Hulk Hogan and now, here she was, working alongside them. It was so unreal and exciting. She was also get to work with people from well known wrestling families like Bret “Hitman” Hart and Luna Vachon. 

Tara would have loved to have had a feud storyline with Luna Vachon. But she had already been brought in to feud with Sensational Sherri. Tara initially felt a little disappointed but as it transpired, her involvement with the Doink feud became interesting and fun in its own right, and the writers agreed that they would set up a feud storyline for her and Luna at a later date in the future. Doink, on many occasions, would torment Tara at every opportunity, both back stage and at ringside, making Brian's “Crush” character even madder at the evil clown and determined to beat him into next year. 

The fans really got into the storyline and totally took to the feisty nineteen year old, totally accepting that they were siblings. In many ways, it made of the anger and frustration shown by the Crush character towards the dastardly clown more understandable and convincing. 

Later that year, Tara was involved in the storyline of Brian turning his back on his friend, the Macho Man Randy Savage. The day she was consulted about the storyline, she initially flipped out. 

“I don't want to be fighting my brother, it feels just totally wrong!” She protested. 

“This is where the boss wants us to take the story,” the head writer told her. “I don't think there's much you, or I, can really do about it.”

Tara skulked off to a quiet spot in the arena, finding some wooden pallets to sit on and to genrally sulk. She needed time to get her head around the idea. It was bad enough being on her own for those few months whilst Brian had been injured, now they were going to have to pretend to hate each other on camera. It was Savage who found her.

“Hey kid, you okay?” He asked as he sat down on the wooden pallets with her.

“No, not really, I hate this new storyline we have to be in.”

Randy grinned. “That's the story writers for you. They tend to write stuff you hate but you have to go along with.” He stood and helped her up to her feet.

“Doesn't mean I have to like it,” she muttered, more to herself than to her friend.

 

The storyline took a lot out of her and she couldn't even be excited when she had been told she would get her wish of the feud storyline with Luna Vachon. Although Tara was happy that she had gotten her wish, she struggled to get into the storyline as the whole family feud storyline really bothered her.

Heading into Wrestlemania Ten, it was her second Wrestlemania and she was to be at ringside for the Macho Man v Crush match. It was to be a Falls Count Anywhere match. It was hurtful for her to watch and to be part of. For months she had hated the storyline but felt she had to go along with it. Maybe it was because she was young and very much a family person. She loitered backstage, wondering if the job was worth it and pretty much refusing to talk to anyone and only talking with those that she had to. The wardrobe department and the hair and make up artists did their job a little quicker than usual. Even her own brother was hesitant to talk to her. It was Luna Vachon who was the one to be brave enough to talk to her. 

“Hey, girlfriend, what's eating you?”

Tara spun around and was greeted by her friend's stunning smile. That's what Tara loved best about Luna, the fact that her smile made her look so stunningly beautiful despite her strange Goth looking appearance.

Tara sighed. “I know it's going to sound stupid but I am seriously not enjoying this damn family feud storyline. I don't care if it's only a storyline and not real, I just hate having to pretend I hate my brother.” 

Feeling sympathy for the younger woman, Luna put an arm around her shoulder. She knew from long and tough experience that the wrestling world could be really shit, especially when you were a woman and being stuck with crappy storylines that made you do stuff you hated was one of them. 

At that moment Tara felt an overwhelming urge to cry. It was the first time anyone had shown any real genuine care or sympathy for how she was feeling. The WWE was a big scary place and she was finding it hard to deal with it all.

But Tara didn't get much of a chance to talk to her friend. The music started for the men to go to the ring. Tara sighed and headed to the ring with the Macho Man, not really taking in the atmosphere or the screaming fans.


	2. Chapter 2

Wrestlemania Ten felt like the longest day – and night – in history. Watching two men she cared about having to really go tooth and nail at each other, all in the name of entertainment. The tears Tara cried at ringside were real, no crocodile tears for the camera that night. But at least the wardrobe department hadn't tried to convince her to wear a dress again since Wrestlemania Nine -Tara had complained ever since that day and didn't want to spend any more time in dresses if she could avoid it - and her character had become more 'trendy', with her trademark ripped jeans and boob tube; and they had dropped the harsh ponytail and allowed her to wear her hair loose, with a minimum of styling to extenuate her natural waves and curls.

She didn't really remember much about that night and when the bell rang to announce that the Macho Man was the winner, Tara was just glad it was over. She left Randy to enjoy his win and ventured backstage to find her brother. There he was, still partially tied up to the metal rack Randy had left him tied to in order to win the match. Without saying anything, Tara helped get him untangled and helped him up to his feet. The fact that she had been crying bothered Brian. Words wouldn't make her feel better, he knew that. Without any argument or protesting, they both agreed to just head out of there before the end of the event. Tara just wanted to be on her own, in her hotel room, away from anyone else. 

Once there, she immediately dumped her suitcase and hold-all bag on the floor near her bed and jumped in the shower. Standing under the hot water, Tara just didn't want to think about anything for a while, if at all, for the rest of the night. She still had so much more of the damn storyline to do and she was finding it too much of a drain. I'm only twenty and already I feel about eighty, she thought bitterly. The things this company will do for ratings at the expense of its stars.

Eventually she dragged herself out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself and headed back to the main bedroom. She didn't exactly feel any better. She looked at the digital clock on the bedside table. It was 1am but Tara knew she was in one of those moods, yet again, where she wouldn't sleep very well. Tara felt a little bit lonely and wished she had someone to talk to. Brian had already headed off to sleep as he was feeling pretty beat after the match. She dug around in her luggage to find a pair of pyjamas to wear, turned off the lights and then crashed out on her bed.

She was the first one awake, up and dressed the following morning. Tara forced herself to grab something to eat from the hotel before she left, despite not having any appetite at all, and it was then than Luna managed to catch up with her. 

“I've been worried about you and I wanted to find you to see how you are,” Luna said in way of explanation. “You disappeared last night before I had the chance to catch up with you.”

“Yeah, I didn't really feel like dealing with anyone last night,” Tara muttered more to herself than the other woman.

Luna seemed to think for a brief moment before she said, “hey, look, I was meant to be stealing a ride from someone else but would you mind if I hitched a lift from you? Call me an old Mother Hen, but I worry about you and I don't want to leave you on your own at the moment. I know what it's like being a woman in this world. It isn't all plain sailing and if you appear to be getting an easy ride, people just assume you're shagging the boss.”

Tara tried not to laugh. The whole idea of sleeping with Vince McMahon to further her career was the most repulsive ever but, at the same time, gave her a crazy urge to laugh. Luna grinned, glad to see the younger woman smile for once. Tara agreed to let Luna ride with her in her hire car and enjoyed her company. It was like having the older sister she never had as she found it very easy to open up and talk to her.

“What made you want to get into wrestling?” Luna asked. “You don't come across as the type who would want to get into this game.”

Tara laughed. “There's a type now, is there?”

“I dunno, you just don't come across as someone who would willingly become a wrestler. For a start, you're model pretty, not an old boot like me,” Luna replied with a returning laugh.

Tara thought for a moment, staring off into the distance, considering her answer. “I think it may be because of my brother. Being ten years older than me, I guess he had an influence on my decision, at least, up to a point anyway. I looked up to him, and still do. I missed him whenever he was away and would get envious when he would tell me about where he'd been and what had been going on at events. My parents were totally against the idea. For them, it was bad enough that their son had decided to get into the sport without me wanting to follow in his foot steps.”

“I take it you decided to be stubborn and do it anyway.”

“How'd you guess?”

The journey to the next house show seemed to fly by. Tara found a new friend in her fellow female star that day. Despite working together for a year, this was probably the first time they had properly talked or travelled together. Tara enjoyed her company and from that day on, they made a point of travelling together from events and house shows more often. They would gossip and laugh and sing along as loud as they could to the radio. 

It made Tara sad when Luna eventually left the company later in 1994. She wanted to do so much more with their feud. They had had some awesome in ring cat fights and the referees would always have a hard time pulling them apart as they would really throw themselves into it. Tara received more black eyes from Luna than she cared to remember and it drove her mother mad whenever she went home to Hawaii to visit the family during her rare bouts of time off. Her mother would constantly complain that black eyes 'weren't very ladylike'.

“I expect it from your brother but not you,” she complained one day. This comment just served to make Tara angry. It had been hard enough, being a woman, breaking into the male-dominated wrestling world, but she still had to deal with a total lack of support from her parents, even after being with the company for nearly two years plus the year she had trained as a wrestler and travelled around the independent shows after leaving school.

“So, because I'm a woman, it's not okay for me to get into fights, paid or otherwise, but you consider it completely find for men to do so.”

Her mother frowned. “That's not what I meant.”

“Well, what do you mean then?”

Noticing the approaching conflict, her older brother interceded. “Lilo.....”

Feeling his hand on her shoulder, that was enough for Tara to drop the argument and walk away. He just seemed to be able to diffuse her temper without having to actually do anything. Maybe it was because Tara knew that things could end in an argument with Brian, and Tara point blank refused to fight with her brother if she could avoid it, as she hated how it made her feel when they argued.

Tara headed for the beach. It was the only place she could go and know she wouldn't be bothered by anyone. But she knew full well that there would be one person who would know where to find her. Brian knew that when Tara was in a bad mood, she would hang out at the beach for a while until the mood past or at least became easier to handle.

“You really should keep a check on that temper of yours,” Brian said as he sat down next to her. Tara didn't bother to look around to look at him and carried on staring out to see.

“Mom just seems to have a knack of getting to me every damn time!” Tara complained. “Why can't she just be happy for me? I've worked so hard to get where I am but she still can't be pleased for me. Maybe I should just accept that neither of them will ever be happy for me or support me.”

“One of these days, things will be different. You'll see.” Things were to change but not in the way Tara was hoping for; not at first anyway. 

Early in 1995, not long after the Royal Rumble, Brian was arrested and jailed for illegal drug and weapon possession. Tara was upset and angry at him for what he had done and, for some time, they hardly spoke. Tara felt betrayed by the one person in her life that she thought she could trust. For a brief time, once the story had got out in the backstage area, Tara didn't enjoy her work. She felt the other stars were treating her differently to how they had done before. There were many moments when she considered leaving the company, feeling she was being judged for her brother's actions outside of the company.

It was a late night – and very long – phone call to her friend Gertrude “Luna” Vachon that had stopped her from doing anything rash or stupid. Tara was holed up in a hotel room, after a house show, and was having one of those days where she was feeling extremely sorry for herself and desperately needed someone, anyone, to talk to; to understand - or at least pretend to understand.


	3. Chapter 3

1996 through into 1997 was to be an interesting time for Tara-Mali, career-wise in any case. With Brian being in jail, she was at a lose end storyline-wise. After Brian's departure, she had spent most of 1995 getting to fulfil her dream of finally getting to compete in the ring properly against female competitors, rather than having the minor scuffles she normally got to have against the men. 

Tara had some epic matches against Debrah Miceli, or Alundra Blayze in that time. She also had the chance to compete against Bertha Faye, who succeeded in putting Tara out of action for a few weeks with busted ribs, and also a couple of the Japanese female wrestlers who had originally been brought in for the Survivor Series women's match up, with Alundra Blayze and Bertha Faye as the team captains. 

In 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin was beginning to become popular and the idea was put forward for her to become a valet – of sorts – for him. Their storyline was that Tara had finally rebelled against the company after the trauma of her brother's arrest and imprisonment and Tara generally feeling like she wasn't getting the push or respect she deserved. Stone Cold was the catalyst she needed to start kicking off and causing trouble. He was the upcoming 'anti-hero/bad boy' of the company and the idea of becoming the resident 'bad girl' appealed to her. 

Gone were the trademark ripped jeans and boob tubes, and in came denim shorts that were so short, they barely covered her modesty and vest tops that usually had Austin 3:16 or other Stone Cold related logos on them. Tara also began to get tattoos done. She had thought about it for some time and now seemed as good a time as any. Vince McMahon and the creative team really went for the idea. They loved the thought of Tara getting tattoos as part of the bad girl image that they wanted to promote. Her first ink was on her upper left arm and consisted of a dragon holding a Yin/Yang symbol, surrounded by branches of a blossom tree.

It was also the year that a young man, Dwayne Johnson, was to join the company. The first day she met him, they seemed to instantly connect with each other as friends. It felt like they had known each other for years. Tara couldn't explain or justify why she had clicked with him, but she had. Dwayne had an air of self assurance, almost verging on cocky, but somehow managed to avoid being an arrogant arsehole at the same time. He had an almost cheeky schoolboy side to him which Tara couldn't help but like; and the most incredibly beautiful smile she had ever seen. She had no idea at that point in her life just how important this one man would eventually become to her.

Deep down though, Tara wasn't sure how she felt about her career, or her life in general. She had toughed it out as much as possible, but there were stars who still treated her strangely or were straight up rude to her. They just couldn't accept that her older brother's real life actions outside of the ring weren't her fault or problem and just seemed to want to blame her; or use it as an excuse to bitch her out and accuse her of being a bad person too. Things didn't become much easier when Brian eventually returned to the company.

Steve Austin was the one to put it into prospect for her. “People will always be haters. They will get in your face and be assholes. The important thing is how you react to it. If you act like it bothers you, you're letting them win. Take the “I-couldn't-give-a-fuck-about-your-opinion” attitude, they generally get bored eventually and leave you alone and find someone else to bully or something else to gossip about.”

After that, Tara threw herself completely into the year long Stone Cold – Bret Hart feud as she didn't really feel like she was up to dealing with her brother right away, which he respected. It was one of personal highlights of Tara's career, as not only did she get to work alongside Steve Austin during his anti-hero years, she also got to spend a good chunk of her time picking fights with the Hart family and generally causing them trouble; even if she did end up having her nose broken by the British Bulldog at In Your House 14. Davey-Boy Smith was utterly mortified that he had injured her but Tara didn't feel any animosity towards him.

“Look, it was my own fault. I told you to go for it and really hit me. I shouldn't have moved my head at the wrong time,” Tara reassured him as she was carted off to hospital by paramedics.

The Englishman didn't seem very convinced. “That's not the point. I should have been more careful. You're a lot smaller than the people I normally fight with.”

The Hart feud eventually led into a feud with The Rock. It was during this time that people began noticing an obvious spark between Tara and Dwayne. Initially they thought that maybe it was because their characters just seemed to have gone on-screen chemistry and were able to completely rub each other up the wrong way in an entertaining way for the fans. Tara and Dwayne had way too much fun getting in each other's faces and generally being rude to each other, both in the ring and during promos. When Tara got wind of the talk backstage gossip, though, she was the first one to defend their friendship.

“Can't a girl be friends with a guy and not be screwing him? Dwayne's married for fuck's sake!” Tara complained to her friend, Luna, who had rejoined the company at this point and they had fallen back into their usual routine of travelling together to shows and events.

“That's the business for you,” Luna replied. “As I said before, people will quite happily accuse you of fucking someone if they feel you're getting too successful or just because they don't like your friendship with them; or if they're jealous.”

Tara sighed. She didn't need more crap to deal with. Life was hard work as it was, what with her brother's misdemeanours, people treating her harshly over it and her parents still giving her a hard time over her career choices. She didn't want people causing hassle with her friendship with Dwayne. Tara was glad to just crash out in her hotel room. Why can't my life just be easy? Just for once? She wondered to herself. What I would give to just run away and get some peace and quiet for a while.

That's when she heard the knock at her door. Tara rolled her eyes. So much for any kind of peace and quiet. Not in this job anyway. She opened the door to find Brian stood there. Her older brother was the last person she was expecting. She took a deep breath before she allowed herself to say anything. The two of them had hardly spoken since his arrest as Tara was still hurting over his irresponsible behaviour and how it had had a huge knock on effect on her life and career. Although the WWE stars she worked with had since started to forget about what had happened, her parents hadn't and, for some crazy reason, seemed to blame Tara for their son's actions. Why they thought that, Tara didn't know, but then again they never really had approved of her or her lifestyle so why try and figure them out?

“Yes, can I help you with something?” Tara asked, sounded colder than she'd intended, and she could tell she had hurt his feelings. No more than you deserve though, considering all you put me through, she thought bitterly. 

“Tara, I really want to talk to you. I haven't exactly had much chance in recent years, have I? And you've been avoiding me ever since I came back to the company.”

“What do you expect after what you did?” She hissed at him. But rather than leaving standing in the corridor, she dragged him into her room. If they going to have a fight, she would rather not have the entire world know about it. I am not going to give the company gossips and bitches something else to talk about any time soon. Bad enough that they think I'm banging a married man.

“If you have something to say to me, hurry up and say it. I really don't have the patients to deal with any more shit at the moment.”

For a brief moment, Brian was a little bemused. When did little sister go and get the attitude adjustment? Then he realised it was probably a silly thing to think. You got arrested and thrown in jail for drug possession and possessing an illegal firearm – the two things she hates more than anything in the world. Are you surprised she's still mad at you?

“You're certainly not the woman I remember from when I was last in the company,” he began.

Tara glared at him. “Well, what do you expect? You were caught with drugs and an illegal gun on you! I spent over a year being treated like a prize winning bitch because of your fucking stupid behaviour! I very nearly quit because of all the shit I was having to deal with. You were the one I always looked up to.......now that image has been ruined......and it hurts like hell.” 

Tara was nearing tears but she was determined not to let him make her cry. She had done enough of that over him. Brian had no idea she had gone through so much hurting and heartache and it had all been caused by him. Yes he had been utterly stupid getting involved with drugs and weapons, but he had never wanted to do anything that might hurt Tara or affect her life adversely. But despite everything, he had committed a crime and hurt his sister in the process.

“There's no point in saying sorry, is there?” Brian said quietly.

“No, there isn't. And I think you'd better leave now. I'm tired and I really don't want to deal with you anymore.”

Closing the door behind him, Tara hadn't felt so broken heartened. Once apon a time, they had had a good relationship, now it felt ruined. Tara felt like she wouldn't be able to trust Brian for a very long time, if ever. She leaned against the door, trying her hardest not to let the tears overwhelm her. But the more she tried, the harder it became. Eventually she sank to the ground and sobbed uncontrollably.


	4. Chapter 4

Tara didn't remember falling asleep on the floor but she regretted allowing herself to do so. Her neck and back ached like hell from lying in an awkward position. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, her muscles protesting as she did so. Work was the last thing she wanted to have to deal with, but eventually Tara dragged herself to her feet. Seeing herself in the bathroom mirror, Tara realised she looked like Hell. I feel like Hell too, she grumbled inwardly. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and forget about the world for a while. 

When she finally dragged herself out of her hotel room, Tara ran into Dwayne. His face said it all. He had obviously noticed she had had the worst night ever. As first Tara was reluctant to want to be stopped or to talk but she knew there would be no way of avoiding it.

“You okay?” Dwayne asked. 

Tara shrugged. “Depends on what you mean by okay.” 

Seeing that Tara's green eyes had lost their usual sparkle, Dwayne offered an arm as they began to walk down the hotel corridor, which Tara accepted, even if it was slightly reluctantly, knowing people would probably talk even more. “I don't want this getting around but, believe it or not, I'm actually a really good listener. You wanna talk?”

Hesitating slightly, Tara muttered, “family stuff.”

“Things still not great with your brother I take it.”

“Not really, no. When the person you always looked up to get arrested for the two things you've always hated, it can be pretty hard to forgive them for it.”

They stopped at the elevator. Seeing Tara so deflated made Dwayne feel incredibly sad. He found it hard to believe she was the same woman who he verbally sparred with on a regular basis on TV for the entertainment of the fans; the fiery bad girl Diva who wasn't afraid to get in the face of the men as well as the women on screen; the same woman who, backstage, had a wicked – if somewhat occasionally crude – sense of humour, who could give as good as she got with the men and was well respected because of it; the same woman who had a slight kink to her nose and still had very faint bruising around her eyes thanks to the accidental broken nose she received from the British Bulldog yet, rather than cry about her “ruined looks” like the other Divas probably would, she had gone right back to work once her nose was healed and just hid the bruising under make up.

Tara enjoyed Dwayne's company for that brief time they had breakfast together and it was nice for her to get a man's prospective on her situation. But at the same time Dwayne didn't pretend to know or understand how she felt and Tara appreciated his honesty.

Wandering into the arena at the next town, she received news from the creative team that left her feeling unsure as to how to take it, especially after the previous night. The new storyline they had coming up was that Crush, along with Savio Vega, were to be kicked out of the Nation Of Domination. The storyline was to go that Tara would get mad at the Nation's treatment of her brother, despite the current on-screen animosity between the siblings, and was to eventually lead to her being a companion for Crush's new team The Disciples Of Apocalypse, as well as continuing her teaming with the Rattlesnake and her feuding with The Rock, a storyline the creative team were keen to keep going as their on-screen characters worked so well together.

“They've just told you, I take it,” Brian stated, more than asked, as the head of the creative team went on his way after telling Tara about upcoming angles.

Tara nodded. “Guess I'll have to talk to you now.” Turning around properly to look up at him, she said “hey, look, I'm sorry I've been a total bitch recently, since you came back. I guess I've just had a hard time dealing with a lot of crap lately.”

“Yeah, I heard there's been some shit going around about you supposedly sleeping around and people giving you shit over what I did,” he snorted, “some people are so pathetic. I swear the locker room is no better than high school sometimes.”

Tara smirked. “You're right there.” She frowned slightly. “This doesn't mean you're completely forgiven though, so don't be getting any ideas.”

“I wouldn't dream of it. I already know I'm walking on thin ice with you as it is.”

After that, things seemed a little easier between brother and sister. The transition between her Stone Cold-valet image into her biker image wasn't exactly a huge one. Essentially she had the same outfit, only the logos and images on the tops changed into something more biker friendly whenever she was with the biker gang. People would comment on how Tara seemed more at ease with life now that things appeared to be repaired between her and Brian. Tara did feel better things, that much was true. 

She enjoyed having the opportunity to work with both Stone Cold and DOA as well as continuing her on-screen spats with The Rock, which seemed to happen on an almost weekly basis. She and Brian were talking more but she was determined not to let him off the hook too easily. His actions still played on her mind from time to time. She didn't want it to bother her and she desperately wanted to forget about it but she couldn't. 

Add to that the new angle of her Stone Cold/The Rock storyline that was being introduced, where Austin was becoming a little jealous and paranoid over her verbal sparring with The Rock. The storyline was to go that he was becoming suspicious that his manager secretly had the hots for his rival, due to her on-screen chemistry with him, and would end up betraying him. Once the Rock got wind of this, he started using it to tease the Rattlesnake, making Tara's job more difficult in trying the convince her man that she wasn't after his rival.

In an attempt to antagonise the Rattlesnake, the Nation Of Domination “kidnapped” Tara during a November episode of RAW, on the orders of the Rock. The Rock also stole Stone Cold's Intercontinental title, just to add insult to injury, dragging Tara away with him as his Nation team mates beat the Rattlesnake senseless. This also brought the wrath of DOA upon the Nation, who were angry at having their manager and friend treated so badly. Several attempts were made to rescue Tara from the clutches of the Nation. This set up In Your House: Degeneration X just nicely where The Rock and Stone Cold would battle for Tara's managerial services as well as Stone Cold wanting to get his title back. Much to the delight of the fans, their favourite anti-hero won back his girl and took back his stolen title. The following night on RAW, the title ended up in the New Hampshire river. Tara had a blast!

The end of 1997 eventually brought with it the departure of her brother from the company. It was partly in protest of the Montreal Screwjob against Bret Hart. There had been a whole lot of backstage infighting and general bad atmosphere feelings for some time, which had left Tara unsettled. Shawn Michaels had publicly accused Bret Hart of having an affair behind his wife's back with fellow star Tammy Lynn Sytch or “Sunny” as the world knew her as. 

Tara got on well with the Hart family due to having worked with them in storylines and it made her so mad that someone could tell such an appalling lie. But, at the same time, Tara had been there herself, with backstage gossip about her and Dwayne Johnson. She still didn't know who had started the horrible rumour and she didn't appreciate it. But at least she knew who her true friends were, and she got on well with most of her work colleagues, and thankfully they took no notice of the stupid rumours. There was still some talk, same of Bret had been getting before he left and still continued to get after he had gone, but she accepted that it was part of the business and some people would just believe the bullshit.

At least this time, Brian had left the company under better circumstances and they kept in regular telephone contact, with Tara promising she would go to Florida and visit him once he was more settled. After all the drama a couple of years before, Brian had decided to leave Hawaii for Florida for a fresh start. Tara began to seriously consider selling up her small apartment on the island and move to mainland America herself. Her family had made it perfectly clear what they thought of her so Tara had pretty much given up and cut herself off from them. One of these days, you'll regret it but I can't stand your negativity any more, Tara thought as she made preparations for the move.


	5. Chapter 5

Tara didn't know it at the time, but the arrival of the Hardy Brothers was to be a turning point in Tara's life. They first arrived in 1998 and, for their first few months, they trained with Dory Funk Jr and then went on to be 'jobbers' for a time. Tara had her first proper conversation backstage with Jeff backstage during a house show. She was packing up ready to leave as she had a few days off coming up and she planned to go chill out in Florida for a few days with her brother. Tara was in desperate need of a break; she was long over due a break longer than one day off occasionally. She felt exhausted and she wanted a rest. 

Jeff caught her just as she was packing her suitcase into her hire car. He seemed a little shy about approaching her. I am really that scary? Tara thought to herself, but put on her sweetest smile for Jeff. 

“Hey. I haven't really had the chance to introduce myself yet. I figured now was as good a time as any,” Jeff said in way of explanation. “I think you're awesome.”

Tara grinned, “thanks”.

Jeff seemed to pause, like he was thinking about something, before he continued. “I was wondering. I hope this doesn't sound strange, but, I would like to draw you some time.”

“You mean, a portrait or something?”

Jeff nodded. “I've always wanted to ever since I started watching wrestling and joined the company. I hope it doesn't sound too weird.”

“I've probably had weirder requests – although if you never get the requests for underwear from fans, you're doing it wrong.”

Jeff chuckled. “I'll try to remember that. So, is that a yes?” He looked at her hopefully.

“I'll think about it. Right now, I'm a little too tired to make a decision and I have a plane to catch early tomorrow morning.”

“Going anywhere nice?”

“Visiting my brother in Florida. I'm in desperate need of a break if I'm honest especially after recently.” 

The atmosphere after the Montreal Screwjob had made the backstage area feel really uncomfortable. It also didn't help that fellow performer, Rena 'Sable' Mero, was becoming a major pain in the backside with her ever increasing ego, although at that point Tara wasn't to know that Rena's ego and attitude were to get a lot worse due to Rena's jealousy over Tara being the more popular Diva due to her 'bad girl' image and her association with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Tara just wanted out for a while. She needed the mental health break; a break that would allow her to rest and allow her to be more mentally prepared for what she foresaw as being another hard time ahead of her. 

Jeff's offer crept back into her mind every now and then. Why would he be interested in her of all people? Surely some of the other Divas would be far more attractive and would make better models? But once she got on the plane and got to Florida, she had forgotten all about Jeff and his request. Tara practically ran out of the terminal when she spotted her brother and jumped into his arms. It felt like it had been forever since she had last seen him. For the first time in a long time, Tara felt happy and relaxed. She didn't care if she was getting funny looks or that anyone may have recognised her. At that moment in time, all she cared about was quality family time with big brother.

“Oh, Lilo, missed you kid,” Brian said as he engulfed her in a massive hug.

“It's been too damn long,” Tara replied, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him.

Taking her brother's arm, they walked from the airport out to his car. Tara got him up-to-date with the gossip, her storylines – which Brian had been watching when he could and had thought she was epic as the company's female equivalent to Stone Cold and had always felt that way – and just life in general.

“Seriously, you and Steve are awesome together. It shouldn't work but it does, and you and Dwayne work so well together too. Your verbal matches never cease to amuse me,” Brian said, “you certainly give as good as you get with him. And you look like you're having the time of your life.”

Tara smiled. “I have such a blast with Dwayne. We certainly don't pussy foot around with each other. It's all or nothing and we don't give a shit how insulting we get, why do it half heartedly?”

Brian nodded. “I always noticed how much fun you seem to have working with him. Your personalities just work perfectly.”

The first thing Tara did once she got there was run a hot bubble bath. She was sure her body ached more than normal. But she didn't get the opportunity to enjoy some R&R time right away as her mobile phone chose that exact time to start ringing. Tara groaned inwardly. Just for once, can't I have just a little time to myself? Tara picked up her phone and saw the caller ID. It was Luna. Tara smiled. No doubt she was ringing to check she had gotten to Florida okay. 

Tara was right. That was exactly why she had called. Thankfully she didn't stay on the phone long as she was due to go out and perform that evening. Tara sank herself into the hot bubble bath, sighing with relief and happiness. Every muscle loosened or at least Tara felt like her body was finally relaxing. Please World, can you all just leave me in peace for a while? The rest of that evening was spent sat on the sofa in her pyjamas, her hair tied back, no make up, gossiping with Brian about everything and nothing, and enjoying hot chocolate. It felt so normal and Tara liked not having to stress about performing then getting to the next show on practically no sleep. 

Seeing his little sister smile made Brian happy. Tara didn't smile very often any more, not enough for his liking anyway. But it till bugged Tara that their parents resented her career choice and had effectively abandoned her. As far as they were concerned, they didn't have a daughter. Brian wasn't sure who was more hurt by this; him or Tara. Tara behaved like she didn't care but he suspected that couldn't be further from the truth. Their attitude had always bothered her. As Tara climbed into bed later that night, her phone beeped again. It was Dwayne wishing her a good night and that he hoped she'd had a safe journey. Tara allowed herself a small smile. It was just like him to send a cute little message like that.

The break was exactly what she needed. She came back refreshed and ready to face whatever life decided to throw at her. Tara was as happy as a kid in a sweet shop when she found out that her man, Stone Cold, would be involved in a feud of sorts with Mike Tyson in the run up to Wrestlemania 14. This meant less of her sparring with The Rock, which made Tara a little sad. That was always a highlight for her. But the prospect of a feud with Mike Tyson and DX seemed too much like fun. 

What she wasn't ready for was Rena Mero's jealousy and resentment towards her. Tara had never asked to be the popular Diva, it had just worked out that way. Tara put her heart and soul into her role and didn't see why it was such a big problem that the fans loved her so much. Yes, being with the Rattlesnake and her almost-weekly verbal run ins with The Rock had probably helped boost her career a lot, Tara wasn't going to pretend otherwise. Tara ended up in a confrontation with Rena backstage one evening, when Rena cornered her after Tara had finished with a match. 

“You think you're so wonderful, don't you,” Rena spat as she approached Tara in the women's changing room. 

Both she and Tara were alone at that point. Tara felt her mouth and throat go dry. She had a feeling this day would come but she wasn't ready for it to happen quite so soon. Tara backed away as Rena got nearer.

“I don't know what you mean,” Tara replied.

“Don't give me that!” Rena yelled. “Just because the fans love you so much, you think you're the bee's knees, don't you! But I see right through you. You're a phoney, everyone knows I'm the best Diva in this company.”

Tara sighed. “Rena, I really don't understand where this animosity comes from. You know as well as I do that none of us can exactly control over who the fans choose to like. You may as well ask me to stop a tornado with my bare hands.”

Rena just seemed to get madder than calmer at that. “You love it don't you, getting the better storylines than the rest of us. But it's Steve Austin carrying you, you'd have no career thanks to him. No-one would care about you otherwise.”

At that moment, Jeff Hardy burst into the locker room. He had heard the yelling and commotion and, being worried about Tara's safety, he had taken a risk by going into the women's locker room, knowing he could get himself into trouble. 

“Rena, I think you need to back off right now. I don't appreciate how you're talking to Tara.”

Rena looked at the younger man in contempt. “And what exactly are you going to do about it?”

Jeff stood up to her. “My father brought me up better than to hit a woman but if I have to forcibly escort you out of here then I will. I don't like jealous people who feel the need to be rude to others over something that isn't their fault. So why don't you just leave Tara alone and quit being such a bully?”

Rena glared at Jeff then back at Tara. “You're not worth it,” she spat and she stalked out.

Tara's heart was beating faster than she ever thought it was possible to beat, and she was shaking like crazy. She sank down on the bench by the lockers before her legs gave out on her and took a couple of steadying deep breaths. Jeff walked over and crouched down in front of her.

“Are you okay? She didn't hurt you or anything, did she?” He seemed genuinely concerned. 

Tara just shook her head. At that moment she didn't really feel like talking. Helping her to her feet, Jeff grabbed her luggage and, after getting his own belongings, escorted her back to her hotel room. After Rena's bullying actions Jeff didn't want to leave Tara alone in case she tried to take another pop at her. Once Tara got into her room, she just sank down onto her bed and, for some crazy reason, she burst into tears. Why had Rena's outburst bothered her so much? But what if she was right? What if Tara had only got to where she was because of her association with Stone Cold Steve Austin? Any self esteem and confidence she had was feeling pretty shaky right at that moment. Jeff sat down silently, put an arm around her shoulders and let her cry. 

“What if she's right? What if I'm only popular because of my storylines? Nobody would care about me otherwise,” Tara cried.

Jeff snorted. “That's just rubbish! You were here long before she was. Rena's just bitter and jealous because the fans like you more and you've had more success. Who is it that goes out there week after week, getting into fights with the guys as well as the girls? Who gives The Rock as good as she gets whenever he decides to give her a hard time? Who is it that has broken bones in the name of entertainment?”

Tara just buried her head into his chest and continued to cry for a while. She had never felt so rubbish in all her life. Eventually Jeff convinced her to get into bed. She was exhausted and emotional. Tara passed out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jeff stayed with her that night so that she wouldn't be on her own, but kept his hands to himself. Taking advantage had never been his way.


	6. Chapter 6

Tara opened her eyes and, for a moment, couldn't remember what had happened or how Jeff had ended up in her room. Then it all came rushing back. She had gotten into a run in with Rena Mero, who had left her extremely shaken up. Jeff had stayed with her as he had been worried about leaving her on her own.

The younger man was wandering around her room, topless from having just had a shower and mid-getting dressed, getting his belongings together. At first he didn't seem to notice she was awake. Tara just lay there and appreciated having him in her room. Is this bad, checking out a man three years younger than me? She smiled inwardly. Heck no, why shouldn't I appreciate an attractive man when I see one? Especially when he insists on walking around with no shirt on.

Jeff seemed to realise he was being watched. He grinned. “Feeling okay?” He asked.

“I'm not sure, still feel a little shit after last night,” Tara admitted.

Jeff sat on the end of the bed. Tara suddenly felt a little self conscious and pulled the bedding around her more. It wasn't like she hadn't had any experience with guys or hadn't shared a room or any such like and she couldn't understand why she suddenly felt like this. And she wasn't exactly naked, she had nightwear on too. Why is he making me nervous? This is ridiculous!

“Rena is nothing but a jealous bully. What she did last night was uncalled for.”

Tara smiled. “Thank you for sticking up for me. I appreciate it. You didn't have to, you know.”

Jeff gently pushed a strand of hair away from Tara's face. “I wanted to. I don't like bullies.”

That one small act made Tara shiver, and in a very good way. Dammit woman! You hardly know the guy! Stop being such a ho! She scolded herself. But he's hot, why shouldn't I enjoy the attention, even if it is innocent?

Once Jeff was convinced Tara was okay to be left on her own, he grabbed his luggage and headed out of her room. He ran into his brother on the way out of Tara's room. Matt's wicked grin said exactly what he thought. 

“You don't hang about, do you,” Matt said as he caught up with his brother. “Mind you, I can't say I blame you. Tara's damn hot!”

Jeff scowled. “For your information, nothing happened. Tara was feeling down. Rena had given her a hard time at the show last night. I only stayed the night with her as I didn't like to leave her own her own, in case she did something stupid or Rena came back and took another pop at her.”

Tara left her room a little while later, deep in thought. Why had Jeff's presence suddenly bothered her? Part of her felt stupid. Why, quite suddenly, had she started lusting over a guy she didn't really know very well? Yes, Jeff was an attractive young man. But Tara had always been very reluctant to see anyone or get into a serious relationship. With her job, it didn't exactly make having a relationship easy. 

Tara still felt distracted when she got to the next arena. It wasn't until she managed to literally walk smack bang into Steve Austin that she realised just how distracted she was feeling. Austin spun around, looking like he was ready to yell at whoever had just walked into him. When he realised it was Tara, he reigned in his reaction, especially when he noticed she didn't seem herself and he wasn't about to let up in his insistence to know what was the matter.

“If I tell you, will you shut up and quit annoying me about it?” Tara asked.

Austin shrugged and grinned. “It depends. I might do, or I might decide to ask more questions and be even more annoying.”

Tara pouted. “Maybe I won't tell you, just to piss you off.” She then broke into a grin.

“Seriously, though, what's up?”

Tara sighed. “I have a lot on my mind,” she hesitated, wondering just what she should say. “I had a run in with Rena last night. She seems to have a massive problem with me being more popular than her. It's ridiculous, I know, and I shouldn't let her bother me. But she cornered me last night and got in my face. I guess it left me pretty shaken up.”

Austin shook his head. “I really don't get that woman. She's becoming such a pain in the ass lately. And why she has such a problem with you, I don't know. For a start, you've been here longer than her so you're going to have a larger fan base than her. You've worked hard to build it up.”

“I just have a really bad feeling she's going to make my life difficult.”

“If she does, can I slap her for you?” Austin asked, sounding a little bit too hopeful.

The eventual start of Tara and Austin's storyline of them feuding with the McMahon family after Wrestlemania seemed to make Rena's animosity towards towards Tara gradually worse. But Tara found allies in many of the superstars, especially amongst the other Divas, who didn't appreciate Rena's bullying attitude towards a fellow performer who hadn't done anything wrong, especially one who had been working for the company a lot longer than most of them. 

Tara found it increasingly harder to concentrate on work as she was on edge most of the time. Any other time she would have enjoyed her new storyline, like she had with her previous storylines, but now she was wondering if it was all worth it. Tara was becoming desperately unhappy and Rena's original comments from that night in the locker room kept coming back to haunt her. Tara didn't want to believe that she was only popular due to her association with the Rattlesnake but she was slowly beginning to think that way. 

She was hiding in a quiet spot in the backstage area one night, sat on some unused pallets, in the hope of keeping out of the way of the jealous Diva. Tara was so lost in her own thoughts that she nearly jumped a foot in the air when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She hadn't heard Dwayne approach her. He sat down next to her, not waiting or asking to see if she wanted company. In between her real life backstage feud with Rena and throwing her remaining energy into trying to concentrate on her storyline and give it her all for the fans, Tara didn't have the strength left to argue.

Dwayne didn't even have to say anything, his eyes said everything he was thinking. He hated seeing Tara so unhappy and having no fight left in her. He missed the woman who, up until recently, was full of feisty attitude both on-screen and backstage. 

“I'm worried about you,” Dwayne said quietly. “Usually you would tell me to get lost when you're in one of your moods where you want to be left alone. Yet you've just let me sit next to you without so much as a word. Rena's getting to you, isn't she.”

“I'm just so sick and tired of it all,” Tara sighed. 

Tara just stared at the floor, unable to bring herself to talk any more. Dwayne took a hold of her hand, interlinking his fingers with hers. That simple gesture alone was all the comfort she needed. It told her that he didn't expect her to say anything and that he understood. Tara cuddled up to him, hugging his arm and resting her head against it. 

Jeff, who had been wandering around the arena looking for Tara, spotted the two of them together. He kept out of sight and watched them. Why did seeing them together bother him so much? Tara had told him that they had been friends for a couple of years but Jeff couldn't help but feel a little jealous. They obviously had something special between them. Maybe it was because of his own growing feelings for her that caused Jeff to feel envious of Dwayne. Jeff debated whether or not to disturb them for a few moments but then thought better of it and left them alone. He would catch up with Tara at a more appropriate time and this wasn't it. Tara obviously needed the friendship and comfort of someone she was close to and could trust and Jeff wasn't sure if he could give her that. He walked away a little disheartened.

Rena Mero was suspended a couple of days later for her recent actions against Tara. Whilst everyone else was relatively happy about this, Tara wasn't. She was worried that this would antagonise Rena even further. Vince McMahon reassured her that, if Rena should try it, she would earn herself an instant sacking on the spot, no more chances. Upon hearing this news, Tara's mood lifted. Hopefully now she would be able to move forward and enjoy her work again. Even Rena wouldn't be stupid enough to risk losing her job.


	7. Chapter 7

For a while Tara's life became a little more bearable. Although Rena Mero was still being a pain in the backside, she had back off of Tara after her suspension for bullying. Tara was right, Rena wasn't stupid enough to continue her vendetta against her, although Tara would still be on the receiving end of dirty looks and subtle snide comments. After the break from her, Tara had found the strength to ignore her or give her equally subtle but catty put-down. Having support from Dwayne had helped her during those couple of weeks and helped Tara find the strength and confidence she needed to deal with Rena.

The creative team were very eager to push the triangle between Tara, Austin and The Rock more, especially as they were keen to push a more “crueller” Rock, which they did when he had his “I Quit” match at Royal Rumble 1999. Their storyline had been neglected slightly after Austin started feuding with the McMahon family. But now that The Rock was part of The Corporation, they were eager to go back to it more. They were eager to have a plot twist; the twist being that Tara would eventually turn heel and turn her back on the Rattlesnake. 

After months of winding up the Rattlesnake again about his manager having the hots for him, Austin giving Tara a hard time over it and The Corporation setting Tara up to be in compromising situations with The Rock only to be caught out by her man, Austin and The Rock were set up nicely for a match at Wrestlemania 15. Tara felt a little nervous that evening as she waited backstage for the match. Turning heel was a big deal to her. Whilst she was all for going heel and knew she would have fun with the new challenge, there was a little part of her that didn't want to upset her fans.

“It just proves that you're normal and that you care,” Dwayne reassured her. “The true fans will support you no matter what you do.”

Tara accompanied The Rattlesnake to the ring, attired in her usual tiny denim shorts and Austin 3:16 vest top. “You ready for this?” Austin asked as they were approaching the ring. “It's probably going to get brutal.”

“Bring it in!” Tara replied with the biggest smile on her face.

Although the Corporation were banned from ringside, Commissioner Shawn Michaels deemed Tara as trust worthy, so was allowed to remain at ringside. In the eyes of the fans, this was to end up being a really bad decision but, at the time, nobody knew about the plot twist. The match went back and forth, with it looking like either man would win. With the referee knocked out at one point, Vince McMahon tried to interfere but to no avail. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the eventual winner much to the delight of the fans. Tara climbed into the ring and initially celebrated with him. But his back was turned, that was her cue. Taking the chair she was handed by the boss, she promptly crack Austin across the back and then over the head. 

The reaction of the crowds said it all; they instantly hated her for her blatant betrayal of their favourite anti-hero. Why? They wanted to know. Why did you betray the one guy you've been his manager of for so damn long? Tara stood over Stone Cold, chair in hand and smiled manically, as planned, whilst the Corporation turned up and gloated over Tara's heel turn. Grabbing the microphone as they were leaving the ring, The Rock said “I told you I'd get the girl one day,” just to add insult to injury.

Backstage, Tara was buzzing. She got yet another cracking storyline line. Part of her felt a little sad that she wouldn't be working with the Rattlesnake in the same way, but she was going into a new chapter in her career. She was now well and truly a heel and she was going to embrace with it with all her heart. She didn't want her character to become stale and boring.

“That was one hell of a chair hit, girl,” Austin said, rubbing the back of his head as he returned backstage. “But did you have to hit me so damned hard?”

Tara grinned. “Well, you told me to do it properly if I was going to hit you, so I did.”

Normally Austin would get mad at any superstar who went too over the top if they had done what Tara did, but she just smiled and acted way too cute for him to be mad at her for too long.

The following day, the internet forums were going crazy. So many fans were upset at what she had done, but a good portion actually thought it was awesome that she had finally broken away from Stone Cold and hooked up with The Rock. He did pretty much what he always said he would do, and that was to “get the girl”, as he had put it.

The company milked it as much as they could in the days following Tara's betrayal; with her refusing initially to say why she did it but eventually saying she did it because she was sick of being accused by the Rattlesnake of being friendly with his enemy. I'm just going ahead and doing what you kept accusing me Austin, she said during one promo, you only have yourself to blame for all of this. Didn't you even say yourself, “don't trust anyone?” It wasn't long however that their characters were thrown out of the Corporation. 

Things were to go very badly for the company on May 23rd 1999. That was the day when Owen Hart lost his life in a terrible accident. He fell several feet in to the ring during a stunt before his match when his harness malfunctioned. He probably would have survived had he not hit the top rope on the way down. As it was, he didn't, and died due to suffering blunt trauma internal injuries. Witnessing a death up close was incredibly traumatic for Tara. This was her first encounter with death and she didn't deal with it very well. 

That night was the night she went AWOL for a while. She had been backstage, grabbing her belongings when she found the house key her brother had given her. Tara held the key in her hand and looked at it for a few moments, contemplating what to do. Running away to Florida became way to much of a temptation and, with that, Tara jumped in her newly bought car and drove through the night and into the following day to Florida. How she didn't crash or get pulled over due to over tiredness, she didn't know. Maybe it was adrenaline that kept her going. Her mobile phone was going crazy but Tara ignored it. At that point Tara just couldn't deal with anything but just getting away from the company. 

Brian was surprised as Hell when Tara turned up on his doorstep so unexpectedly. He was even more taken aback when the first thing she did was burst into tears and, at first, didn't make a whole load of sense. All he did was hold her and wait until she was calmer and could talk more coherently before he quizzed her over what had happened. He sat her down on the sofa and she told him what had happened to Owen Hart. Brian was mad at her for driving for as long as she had but chose not to say anything at that point. Tara was clearly distressed and the last thing she probably wanted was a telling off. The main thing was she had got to him in one piece.

Crawling into bed that night, Tara finally picked up her voice messages and text messages. She ignored the ones from the bosses. She was in no mood to deal with them right away. She did, however, at least send text messages to Dwayne, Jeff and Luna to let them know she was at least still alive and well but that she just needed to be on her own for a while. Tara didn't sleep very well that night. She was plagued by horrible nightmares and general restlessness.

For the following few days, Tara wasn't herself and barely ate or slept and it worried Brian no end. He had never known his sister to be so bothered by something. Seeing Owen Hart die had obviously taken its toll on Tara. A surprise visit from Luna, Dwayne and Jeff was the thing that seemed to make Tara perk up. Luna had guessed that Tara would go to Florida to stay with Brian, so the three of them had talked some time off out of Vince McMahon and headed off to find her. 

“I hope you're right about this and haven't dragged us out here for nothing,” Jeff grumbled as they got out of the car and headed for Brian's front door.

“Would you just trust me?” Luna replied. “If I know her as well as I think I do, this is where she'll go if she ever needs to get away from everything.”

Brian looked almost relieved when he saw them. “Please try and talk some sense into Tara. She's just scaring me now.”

Their visit seemed to have the desired affect. Tara appeared happier at seeing her friends. They gave her a massive group hug. Luna held her at arm's length and looked at her. “Why did you run out of us without saying anything? We were worried sick about you.”

“I'm sorry. It's just....seeing what happened......I just needed to get away.”

“Can't say I blame you, to be fair.”

The three of them ended up staying over for a couple of nights. There was no way they'd be driving back any time soon, not after driving for over 24 hours, including stop overs. Their company appeared to do Tara the world of good. Eventually they convinced her to speak to the company. After talking her way out of not losing her job, she agreed to come back after a couple of weeks off to get her head around what had happened.

That evening, she sat up late talking to her friends. Talking it out made her feel a lot better. Their company certainly helped. After everyone had headed off to bed, Tara and Jeff stayed up and continued to talk. It was that evening that Jeff took his chance and told Tara how he felt about her. Tara wasn't all that surprised and was relieved she could talk to him about how she felt about him. She was glad he didn't think she was crazy, and wanting to rush into anything, when he was thinking and feeling the exact same thing.

Dwayne was the first one to guess that Tara and Jeff were an item the following morning. It was just the way they were around each other that gave him that inkling. If Luna and Brian knew or had guessed, he didn't know, or they just didn't let on that they knew.

When he had the opportunity, Dwayne pulled her to one side and asked her about it. “Are you sure about this?” 

Tara cocked her head slightly. “Why wouldn't I be sure?”

“I'm just concerned about you. I wouldn't want you to rush into anything you weren't sure about.”

Tara smiled and hugged him. “Dwayne, you worry too much sometimes. I'll be fine. I've never been so sure of anything in my life.”

Tara eventually returned to the company after her time away. Thankfully, by this point, Rena Mero appeared to have forgotten all about her feuding with Tara, as she was caught up in her own backstage issues with the company itself, eventually quitting in the summer of that year, sighting sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions.


	8. Chapter 8

With Rena Mero gone and her now dating Jeff Hardy, Tara was starting to feel pretty good about life again. Thankfully, her going AWOL didn't get her the sack like she thought she would. She was surprised she hadn't gotten the sack if she was honest with herself. Although Dwayne's words came back to mind from time to time. Of course she was happy with her relationship with Jeff. Yes it had been unexpected but she wanted to be with him.

Tara still couldn't get over Owen not being around any more. She missed him enthusiasm and lust for life. Tara remembered on her last birthday, Owen bounding into the arena like an over excited puppy, holding the biggest bouquet of flowers for her then grabbed a hold of her arm and led her off to where there was a birthday cake for her. Wiping away the single tear that trickled down her cheek, Tara took a deep steadying breath and headed off out to the ring for the latest Rock 'n' Sock Connection segment. There was that small part of her that just wasn't into it but she ploughed on and gave it her all.

Jeff was waiting for her when she returned backstage. He had a hug ready for her. That's what Tara liked about him, he was very patient with her and didn't get mad about the fact she was grieving for her fallen colleague and friend. He just held her and waited until she was ready to break the hug first. Tara found it a great comfort having Jeff in her life in a capacity that went beyond simple friendship. It was almost like she had had something missing from her life for some time and that Jeff was that missing piece.

Dwayne, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel that Tara had rushed into this relationship without so much of a second thought. Yes, he was glad his friend was happy again, even if she was still struggling with Owen Hart's death, but there was a nagging doubt at the back of his mind that just would not go away. A nagging thought that he couldn't justify. As Tara had pointed out when they had spoken about it in Florida, why exactly was he so worried about her? Why is this bothering me so damn much? He often wondered. Why can't I just be happy for her that she's found someone she wants to be with?

Backlash on February 27th 2000 was the day Tara suffered her first proper serious injuries. Tara and Luna had agreed to reignite their feud for old time's sake, in a storyline where Luna resented the sexualisation of the females stars. It was to cause friction between her and Tara, as Tara wasn't afraid of showing her body and using her sexuality to distract The Rock's opponents, allowing him to win on most occasions. This had eventually led to their no holds barred, no DQ match at Backlash. Both women were looking forward to this match as they enjoyed being able to lay into each other and take whatever knocks came their way. But, for Tara, it was to go horribly wrong. Whilst climbing up onto the turn buckle to perform an aerial move, the ropes gave way, causing Tara to fall out of the ring, crashing into the barriers on the way down. Her fall resulted in broken ribs, broken neck and concussion. 

For a few moments Tara just lay there, unable to move or react. The shock of the fall had left her stunned and disorientated. Then the pain kicked in, causing Tara to cry out. Worst still, she wasn't able to move. Abandoning character, Luna had left the ring and gone to Tara's aid. When she realised that her friend was potentially seriously hurt, Luna yelled at the referee and ring side assistants to go get medical help for Tara. For Tara, she didn't really remember much after that. The pain of her injuries and the pain relief she was given by paramedics made things a little hazy.

Tara woke up in hospital in the early hours of the following morning. Everything still hurt like a bitch and her body protested at the slightest movement. She eventually became aware that she had a neck brace on. So, this is it then, my first proper serious injury, she thought to herself. Is it serious enough to stop me from fighting again? Why is there never a damn person around when I want to ask them about my injuries? 

She lay awake for a long time, brooding over the worst case scenario. What if it was career ending for her? What then? Would she be given the heave-ho by the WWE? Tara seriously didn't want that to happen. Wrestling was a way of life for her now and she didn't want to be forced to retire over this. She especially didn't want to give her family any more fuel for their disapproval over her career choices. Tara suddenly felt that desperate urge to cry. She felt scared and didn't know how to handle her situation. Wrestling was her life and Tara didn't know what she would do if she had to give it all up. The thought terrified her.

When the doctors did finally decide to show their faces, they told Tara that although her injuries would not be career ending, she would be out of action for several months, possibly even up to a year. Her neck needed time to heal and would also need surgery due to the nature of the injury. They didn't want to take any chances where her neck was concerned. The thought of possibly being out for anything up to a year was not what Tara wanted to hear. But if it meant that she'd possibly get back into the ring then maybe she would need to ride this year out. 

It felt like forever before she had her first visitor, even though it had only really been around a day, and it really wasn't any surprise that it was Jeff Hardy. Tara was just glad to see someone. Hospital was a cold, lonely place and seeing him made her feel a little less scared. Jeff admitted that seeing her fall like that had scared the hell out of him. Tara told him she would probably unable to compete for the best part of a year and was contemplating maybe going to Florida to recover once the doctors had fixed her neck. There would be no way she would go back to Hawaii, not when she knew what her family would say.

“A year? You could be gone for a year?” Jeff sounded pretty down at the thought.

“It's not like you can't come visit me when you have time off,” Tara pointed out. 

Jeff didn't seem convinced. “I guess I've just gotten too used to seeing you at work as well as spending time together outside of it, when you stay over with me. It's gonna feel weird.” 

“Look, I know it will be difficult with me being away, but this will be a good test for us; to see if we can cope with some time apart. It will help strengthen our relationship.” I hope, Tara thought but she didn't tell Jeff that. She was having a hard enough time getting her head around her injuries and an enforced year off without having to deal with her boyfriend getting the jitters on her as well, for thinking she might be having second thoughts when she wasn't. 

It took some time but eventually Brian showed up at the hospital, having blagged time off from WCW, and also the doctors being reluctant to release Tara from hospital; and Tara took that long painful ride journey back to Florida. Or, at least, it felt that way to her even if they did fly back. Tara was in for a surprise when she arrived at her brother's home to be met by a pretty blonde woman. Brian finally admitted to her that, yes, he had been seeing someone for some time and that, yes, they were serious about each other hence why the woman in question had now moved in.

“Lilo, I'm sorry, I know I should have told you months ago.......but it just never seemed to be the right time. I wanted to tell you the last time you stayed but Owen had just died and I wasn't sure how you'd take the news, especially considering how upset you were at the time.”

Tara couldn't be mad at him; not for too long anyway. She just would've preferred some warning rather than turn up and find some random woman living in her brother's home. As it turned out, she got on well with her brother's new girlfriend, who's name was Tina – or Teeny as she preferred to be called – and had worked for WCW as backstage hair/make-up/wardrobe before recently leaving after being left money by a deceased relative and setting up her own business. She was petite and blonde; patient but with a certain fiestiness to her. 

Tara instantly liked her, even more so when Teeny mentioned that she worked in the industry. At least it meant that Teeny would understand the lifestyle and wouldn't turn into one of these woman who complained about their partner always being away. In Tara's opinion, there were too many women (and some men) who married a wrestler because they thought it would be all glamour and parties, then realised that, in reality, their partner would be away for a good 45 to 50 weeks of the year, on the road, competing. 

“Seriously? You like her?” Brian asked, as he sat on the end of Tara's bed that evening. He seemed genuinely happy that his little sister approved of his new partner.

Tara grinned. “Yes, I do. This is the first time I have ever seen you this happy with somebody. How could I not like her? She's obviously very good for you. And I'm glad you've met someone who can appreciate how much time our careers can take up and that we will spend most of our life on the road as she's in the industry herself.”

Brian wanted to hug her but didn't dare, fearing that he would end up making Tara's injuries worse. She was in enough pain as it was, with her broken ribs and neck, without him causing more damage. Instead he changed the subject.

“So, what's this I hear you're seeing that Jeff Hardy guy? From what I can tell, you two are getting pretty close and are spending quite a bit of time together.”

There was something from his tone that Tara wasn't sure she liked, but she chose to keep her cool. “Yes, we're serious, if that's what you mean.”

Realising that Tara may have taken his questioning the wrong way, Brian smiled. “Hey, look, it's cool that you've met someone. If he makes you happy then I'm happy. And it just so like you to get yourself a younger man.......”

“Does that mean I'm officially a cougar now or is Jeff not young enough?”

Brian laughed. “I can't say I've looked into the subject enough to find out.”

Tara relaxed a little. Brian had always been protective of her so it was understandable that he would quiz her over any new boyfriend. He had always been that way and he had always been a handy deterrent for any dodgy guys that wouldn't leave her alone or take no for an answer. You'd have to be an complete idiot to mess with a man 6 feet 7 tall and over 300 pounds. Tara had the worst night's sleep that night and for quite a few weeks after. Trying to sleep with broken bones wasn't the easiest thing in the world, even with pain killers. Brian hated having to leave her to go back to WCW but Tara insisted he get back to work. The last thing she wanted was for him to get fired for no-showing.

Jeff rang her every day. Just hearing his voice gave Tara that little bit of extra comfort to help her get through each day. Luna rang as often as she could too and even promised that, as soon as she could get to Florida, she would be there visiting. She, too, wanted to meet Brian's new lady because, as Luna put it, “I'm a nosey bitch”.


	9. Chapter 9

Being out injured did not sit well with Tara. Within a week she was bored stupid and wanted to be back in the ring. But there was no way she would be doing that any time soon. She wasn't even allowed to be in the house on her own for too long or do the simplest things without supervision in case she made her neck worse. It was going to take a long time of healing and rehabilitation before she could even think about it or do anything about it. 

It didn't help that she was desperately missing Jeff. Phone calls were all very well and good but Tara wanted to see him in person. She missed the physical contact with him. Not that she would be able to do much at that moment in time with a broken neck and ribs. Tara hated that she couldn't do much of anything. But Teeny's company helped her from losing the plot completely. She seemed to have a knack of taking Tara's mind off her frustration, even if it was just for a few hours at a time, but Tara was grateful for those few hours as she had a long road ahead of her.

Jeff finally got the opportunity to visit around a month after her release from hospital. Tara was so incredibly happy to see him again. It was true what she had said to him; the time apart had been a positive thing. Just the way he held her in his arms and his general body language spoke volumes. He had missed her more than words could express but he didn't need to say anything. Tara had missed him way more than she had realised and suddenly she felt incredibly emotional.

Jeff held her and arms length and asked “what's with the tears?” He looked a little worried, pushing a strand of hair away from her face.

“I guess I've missed you a lot more than I thought I had. Seeing you has made me realise that.”

Jeff put a hand on her cheek then leaned in for a kiss. Tara placed her hands around his neck, interlocking her fingers. She just wanted to enjoy this brief moment of them being alone before Teeny returned from work. Dammit, why does my body have to be so broken? Tara thought bitterly.

It was almost as if Jeff had read her mind as he pulled away and whispered, “you're hurt; I wouldn't want to make things worse.”

Tara managed a weak smile and rested her forehead against his, her fingers still interlocked around the back of his neck. “You're lucky I have a broken neck otherwise I'd be dragging you off to my bed. Words don't even come close to explaining how much I want you right now.”

Jeff chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him. “I don't doubt that for a moment. And it's only your injuries stopping me from doing some very bad things to you.”

Jeff stayed for a few days to keep Tara's company. Tara enjoyed getting coffee and the early morning cuddles in bed, although Jeff had to be extremely careful when he did this so that he didn't cause Tara more problems with her neck. 

Oh man, have I missed this, she thought, just having Jeff here with me. By the sounds of it, from the gossip Jeff told her, she was missed by pretty much everyone backstage. 

“I miss being on the road, I'm bored stupid already,” Tara said miserably as they lay in bed one morning. 

“It's been your way of life since you were a teen, it's normal for you to feel that way,” Jeff replied, trying in any way he could to sooth her. 

They made the most of their few days together. Jeff finally got to draw that portrait he had wanted to do of Tara. They would snuggle up on the sofa in a blanket and he would read to her; or they would just talk and put the world to rights. They even talked about their future together and the possibility of maybe living together some time in the future.

Later that year, during her rehabilitation, Tara got to hear that there was talk that WCW could possibly be eventually bought out by Vince McMahon, which meant that she and Brian would end up working together again, along with some of her other former colleagues. But at that stage, it was still only talk and no actual deal had been done.

“I just can't get away from you, can I?” Brian joked as they chatted on the phone one evening during one of his 'checking up on her' calls to make sure Tara was doing alright.

The writers were hoping that, once Tara was healed and given the okay to return and the deal did go ahead and WCW was bought, that they could get her into storylines with some of the ex-WCW and ECW women, depending on who was in the company at the time. Tara was still considered the WWE's “bad ass chick” so they thought it would be interesting to get her scraping with women considered equally as bad ass from the other companies. 

Yeah, thanks, just go ahead and remind me that I can't fight right about now; remind me that I'm broken! Tara thought when she heard about the possible buy out and the plans that the creative team had. But despite feeling a little despondent and at their general insensitivity at being reminded of her injuries and her inability to compete, she liked the idea of competing against some tough ass women who would hopefully give her a decent match up in the future once she went back.

The buy out of the other companies just made her more determined to get better and back in that ring. Tara was worried that if she stayed out of the ring for too long, she would undo all of the hard work she had put in to getting to the top of her game. She had worked too damn hard to be pushed aside by some young upstart. As the weeks began to turn into months, Tara worked at her rehabilitation. 

Once her neck was healed enough, Tara through herself back into training. Tara knew she had piled on weight after being hurt, what with not being able to train. Tara hated this. Not only had the injuries knocked her confidence, the subsequent weight gain knocked the crap out of her self esteem. She had cried a few times over it. She was convinced she had become fat and ugly. Jeff constantly told her that this was far from the truth; to him she was beautiful. Whenever he had the opportunity to visit he was give her plenty of cuddles and compliments.

She was looking at New Year 2001 the absolute earliest before she would be fit enough to return, but even that was being optimistic. It was more likely to be nearer the summer before she was at a stage where she could realistically go back. The thought made her miserable but she was grateful for the support from Brian, Teeny, Jeff and her friends Luna and Dwayne. If it hadn't been for them then Tara was pretty sure she would have just given up completely.

“You're pushing yourself too hard,” Brian complained during one of Tara's training sessions.

Tara put her strapped up hands on her hips and frowned. “No, I'm not!” She protested. They had been doing some boxing sparring together with a punch bag attached to the ceiling in a local gym in Tampa.

“Yes, you are!” Brian argued back as he stepped away from the bag and let it swing freely again. 

Randy Savage, who had dropped by to see them and check on Tara's progress, grinned from his spot leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. “You know, if anyone had any doubts that you two were related, they would only have to see you now. Your personalities are way too much alike. You're both as stubborn as each other sometimes.”

Brian grinned at his friend then turned back to his kid sister. “Lilo, I only say this because I care. I don't want you to hurt yourself again because you were too damn stubborn not to take care of yourself properly.”

“And if I don't get back in shape and get back in that ring, I'm scared I'll be left behind. I can't afford to drop my game. I worked too damn hard to get where I am.”

Both men were able to appreciate how she felt. The wrestling world could be a very fickle world at times and so could the media too. They could understand Tara's fears and insecurity and her desire to get back to work. The WWE was changing and Tara didn't want to get left behind and lose all that she'd worked hard for.


	10. Chapter 10

Returning to the WWE after a year away was extremely hard for Tara. It felt like so much had changed while she had been away. There were many new faces in the company and Linda McMahon had taken over a CEO of the company. There were so many women in the company now, women who she felt were a lot prettier than her, and were far more popular than her with the fans, and Tara felt inadequate and ugly. Why did I come back? I'm not pretty enough compared to them, she thought bitterly. The fans seem to prefer them these days - all tits and ass. I worked my fucking ass off to get where I am, or was, before I went and broke my neck.

Jeff did his best to try and make her feel better about herself. He continued to compliment her, telling her every day that she was beautiful and an awesome wrestler and performer. Tara had a hard time believing it though. Although, if it hadn't been for the support of both Jeff and Brian, upon his return to WWE from WCW, Tara was pretty sure she would have totally given up altogether and left the company. 

In July 2001 Dwayne returned to the company after a suspension and this helped bring Tara's confidence right back up. It seemed to be just what she needed. Dwayne was glad Tara was back and he was happy that their characters were still staying a partnership. They just worked so well. What with her being away recuperating and him away due to suspension and filming the The Mummy Returns, they hadn't really seen much of each other in person, although they had spoken regularly on the telephone.

The atmosphere in the locker room seemed to change too. Everyone knew they were in for the ride of their lives when Dwayne and Tara were together when they were in character. Dwayne's “Hollywood Rock” character regularly had Tara in fits of giggles and she would often tease him about being a bigger Diva than her when they were backstage. Tara's ring character rejoined The Rock and they was thrown in with a in storyline where she and Dwayne had to choose between siding with the WWE or The Alliance. 

Tara's character, as a result of The Rock's attitude change, started to gain more attitude as well, resulting in her having plenty of scraps with Alliance members Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, Ivory and Mighty Molly. Tara's character didn't exactly make it a secret that she didn't like any of the women for their allegiances and, when she wasn't beating the living crap out of them, she was regularly verbally abusing them, reminding them that she was the bigger and better star and always would be. 

Tara enjoyed the chance to embrace her bad ass bitch character again. It felt like it had been far too long and the fans got right back into their 'love to hate her' routine, especially as they hadn't forgotten what she did to Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Towards the end of 2001 it was written into the storyline that the Hardy Boyz were starting to fight due to Jeff's relationship with Tara – something the creative team had decided to use. In storyline Matt didn't approve of Tara and her 'bad girl' reputation and that she had turned her back so easily on the Rattlesnake and aligned with his arch rival. 

She doesn't care about anyone apart from herself, she'll turn her back on you too, don't you remember what she did to Stone Cold? Matt had warned him but Jeff refused to listen to his brother. This then caused a feud between Tara and Lita. Tara was pleased as she felt she needed a decent feud in order to put her back in the limelight again.

Tara and Lita fought like cat and dog whenever they had the opportunity to battle with each other. Some even said they fought better than the men. The two women enjoyed their matches and out of ring fights. Tara ended up with more black eyes and bruises than she cared to remember. But Tara had always believed in doing things properly. If you're going to do it half heartedly then don't bother at all was one of her favourite mottos. Tara knew all too well that she had a lot of ground to make up after being away for a year after her neck injury. She couldn't afford to be complacent about it. So she threw her heart and soul into her feud with Lita and was determined to give the fans something to talk about.

The only thing that made her sad about her return was that she never really got the opportunity to work on-screen with Brian again. Sadly for him and his tag team partner, Brian Clark, their return to WWE, using their “Kronik” gimmick, didn't last as long as they'd hoped. After Unforgiven, Brian Clark was released from his contract and her brother was sent to work was sent to the WWE developmental territory Heartland Wrestling Association in Cincinnati, Ohio where he performed until he, too, was released from his WWE contract in November 2001. 

For a brief time Tara worried about her own future as it seemed, to her at least, that the company would quite happily fire their stars at the drop of a hat. But Vince McMahon wasn't stupid. Tara was one of his top stars. Her crazy ass antics, fighting tooth and nail with other female competitors and even some of the men too, got the fans watching and talking about the company and he wasn't about to let her go any time soon.

With everything that had been going on in her private life and in her career, Tara hadn't immediately noticed Jeff's behaviour changing. There were always stories and rumours of drug abuse but Tara usually didn't take much notice of it. She had never seen any proof of obvious drug use so Tara decided she would only believe the stories when she saw given reason to do so. Until then, they would stay just that – rumours and stories. 

It was bad enough that she'd very nearly fallen out with Brian over his drug possession. The last thing she wanted to do was start believing vicious rumour. But the last person Tara ever thought would take drugs was Jeff. He knew what her feelings towards drugs were so she never thought he would be stupid enough to take them himself. She was later to find out how totally wrong she was to be.

For the time being Jeff an Tara's relationship was still going strong. They eventually found a place to move into together in Florida. Tara was determined to stay close to Brian as he was the only real family she had. Plus she preferred the warmer weather. Living together was something they had talked about for a very long time but they hadn't really gotten around to acting on it especially after she had her accident and broke her neck, causing their plans to be put on hold for a year.

Both Dwayne and Brian couldn't help but worry about Tara. They, too, had heard the drugs rumours and that Jeff Hardy had been implicated in the rumours along with others. Tara reassured both of them that she was okay and that she knew what she was doing. But she appreciated their concern about her. It was nice knowing that there were people out there that cared about her and worried about her welfare.


	11. Chapter 11

Tara smiled as they finally got the last of the boxes and furniture into the house. It was a two story stucco built house, open plan kitchen and family room, master bedroom downstairs and the remaining bedrooms upstairs. The backyard was huge and, to Tara, it seemed to go on for days. It had been the thing that had convinced Tara it was right for them. Even though it was a long way off, Tara could just imagine children running around on it. She smiled – she could just see her and Jeff doing the whole marriage and children thing. 

She had been glad of the distraction. Stacy Kiebler and Torrie Wilson had been driving her crazy with their shallowness and their resistance towards learning to take bumps ever since Tara had returned to the WWE. The arguments it was causing backstage were starting to stress Tara out. It hadn't helped that she'd had the stress of selling up and moving out of her own apartment to move in with Jeff. But now that they had moved in together Tara finally felt at ease and happy.

Tara put the last box down and took a deep breath. She suddenly realised how tired she felt. Maybe all the stresses in life and at work and the late nights had caught up with her. She was suddenly aware of a pair of hands gently place their hands on her shoulders. Jeff then started giving her a shoulder rub.

“You're exhausted Tara,” he said gently. 

Tara leaned back into him and enjoyed the feeling of her tense shoulder muscles easing up. “I know, I know, I work too hard. There's just been too much going on lately for me to relax.”

“Well, now you have no excuse. We have a week to ourselves, so I will make sure you rest,” Jeff replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. “And try to forget about Stacy and Torrie for for the next few days. I know they're both a pain in the ass but this is your time.”

Tara turned herself around and put her arms around his neck. “Okay, I promise I won't stress about work, I won't stress about bitches and I won't stress about anything else that doesn't need worrying about for the next week – happy?”

Jeff seemed to ponder for a moment and then smiled. “Yes I think that's fair.”

Ignoring the unpacking for that day, Jeff and Tara agreed on eating out. There was no way they were going to spend hours trying to find the kitchen utensils then find a store and then mess around cooking it all. The restaurant they found was sat near the beach which Tara loved. She had always loved being near the sea and put it down to being from Hawaii and being used to the sea and beaches. 

Letting her mind wander back to her home island only served to make Tara feel down. Despite the bravado she missed her birth home. If only her parents hadn't been so been so hostile towards her she would've stayed there. Tara mentally shook herself and felt annoyed that she'd allowed her parents to bother her, especially as she hadn't thought about them in a long time and had managed get along with life. Tara made herself promise she wasn't going to let them get to her again. She had a new life; she was doing a job she loved, she was with a man she loved and, despite the drugs and gun incident, she and Brian were still getting along and close like they'd always been.

Screw them, I'm moving on now and I want to enjoy a nice evening with my boyfriend, she thought to herself. If they want to know me again then they know how to get in touch with me.

Jeff noticed her sudden shift in mood. “You okay?”

Tara forced a smile. “Yeah, I'll be okay. I was just silly enough to start thinking about my family.”

Jeff reached across the table and held her hand. “I take it you don't get along with them.......” 

Tara reluctantly told him about how her parent, especially her mother, had always disapproved of her becoming a wrestler and how it had caused a rift between them; to the point where her parents had now stopped talking to her and Tara had given up and left Hawaii to move to mainland America. 

It was only the third time since she had left that Tara had ever talked about what had happened. Apart from Jeff, the only other people she had ever told were Dwayne and Luna. She didn't even talk about the family with her own brother but Brian already knew her feelings about the subject so he never pushed her on it. For Tara, opening up to Jeff was a bit deal to her. It took a great deal of trust for her to talk about such a thing because it hurt far too much for her to even think about it; let alone actually talk about it to anyone.

Tara looked up at Jeff after she had finished telling him about her background. “That was really difficult to talk about. I don't tell people about it very often.”

“I can see why. They don't seem like very nice people,” Jeff replied.

Helping her to her feet, the two of them left the restaurant and headed back to their new home. Despite everything the thought made Tara smiled. Despite her disapproving family Tara had carried on and followed her dream. 

Meanwhile, the rumours still persisted around the company of stars being involved with drugs and Dwayne became more and more concerned with Tara's safety. If it was true that Jeff was one of the stars experimenting with drugs, there was no telling what he could end up doing to her. But he knew full well that, if he said anything to Tara without hard evidence, Tara would point blank refuse to listen to him. 

Sometimes he stopped to wonder at his motivations as to why he was so concerned about it but would then mentally shake himself over it. Dwayne wanted Tara to be happy and he really hoped that Jeff wasn't caught up in all of this; perhaps it was becoming a father that was making Dwayne so worried about Tara all of a sudden. He had become like that with a lot of the people he was close to, including members of his own family. All, at least, he would convince himself of that.

A few days after Tara came back to WWE, she was approached by Torrie Wilson. Tara was a little surprised at first especially as they hadn't gotten along initially. But deciding to give her a chance Tara listened to what Torrie had to say. 

“I kind of get the impression you don't like us new girls,” Torrie began.

Tara shook her head. “It's not that I dislike you personally. I just don't like those who don't pull their weight around here. Both myself and many of the others here have worked really hard to get where we are and that isn't easy in an male dominated world like wrestling.”

They chatted for a long time and aired a lot of their grievances. By the time they were due to start the show, the two women were on better terms with each others and Tara apologised to Torrie for making negative assumptions about her as a person. All she asked was that she and Stacy made more of an effort. Whether or not they would was another thing altogether. But Tara didn't really get an opportunity to worry about the two Divas for very long as the WWE decided to split the brand in two, having RAW and Smackdown as two separate entities. Tara worried that they would separate her character from The Rock.


	12. Chapter 12

Despite finding out their characters would be broken up, The Rock and Tara at least got to finish on a high at Wrestlemania 18, with Tara at ringside for The Rock's Icon Vs Icon match against Hollywood Hulk Hogan. After the cameras finished rolling, Dwayne pulled Tara to one side to say good-bye to her properly. Tara was going to take a brief break from the company until the two shows properly split and the creative team started on new storylines. 

“You do realise my life is going to be very boring now that you're going to be on RAW,” Dwayne complained. 

Tara smiled. “You'll live. If not, you'll just have to find somebody else to have your Diva bitch fit arguments with”.

Dwayne crossed his arms across his chest and pouted slightly. “I am not a Diva!” 

Tara always found it hard not to laugh when he did that during their backstage banter. She found it way too funny when he pretended to get annoyed or offended.

“Of course not. You keep telling yourself that. One of these days you'll start believing it.” Tara enjoyed teasing Dwayne. It was far too easy. She stood there with her hands on her hips, silently challenging him to carry on the banter.

Dwayne's face broke into that boyish cheeky grin of his. “You're heading the right way for a spanked ass, young lady.”

“Is that a promise?”

Dwayne laughed and shook his head. He knew he was going to seriously miss their backstage banter and Tara's playful accusations of him being a Diva. You'll be demanding a hundred white roses and crates of fresh spring water in your own private dressing room, the way you're going; Or will it be grapes and lilies this week? Tara would say to him; he would get various versions of this sentence from her. When Dwayne's wife, Dany, got to hear of the things Tara would say, she laughed, claiming that Tara probably wasn't far from the truth. I think I like her already, Dany said.

Tara's transfer to RAW in April 2002 after the draft and Wrestlemania proved to be an interesting one. The storyline was to be that, disgruntled at being separated from her “meal ticket” (as the commentators put it) when The Rock got shipped to Smackdown, Tara was to set out to cause as much trouble as possible for as many of her fellow RAW stars as possible. She had no respect for anyone or anything but, for the fans, it was no big surprise. After all, a leopard never changes its spots, as the saying went, and Tara's character had no interest in ever changing into a nice girl. 

She wound up Stone Cold Steve Austin over walking out on him, she damaged The Undertaker's motor bike (which helped move Jeff Hardy towards his eventual ladder match with him) and generally acted really obnoxiously towards her fellow Divas, causing Trish, Terri, Molly, Jazz and Jacqueline to really detest her.

As Jeff was now beginning to have more matches as a singles wrestler, the creative team began using Tara's real life relationship with Jeff Hardy more as well, having her accompany him to the ring for his matches. The plan had been to continue the Tara/Lita feud but, due to an unfortunate turn of events, Lita injured her neck outside of the company during filming of a TV show, meaning the feud had to be put on ice until she was fit enough to return.

There was also a brief sub plot storyline where The Rock was trying everything he could to get his manager back. He would regularly turn up to the WWE corporate building, looking for the bosses, and at RAW trying to find Tara. When he did finally find her, Tara surprised everyone by refusing to leave RAW for Smackdown, telling The Rock that she was actually happy being away from him as she felt she was getting more air time on her own merit, rather than because she was his manager. She had Trish, Jazz and Jacqueline to compete with and Tara felt like she was actually doing something after her return from her injury. 

The Rock respected that and their on screen backstage split was amicable, which both stars were happy about, as both they and the creative team agreed that it left the door open for their ring characters to possibly reunite in the future, especially if the two stars changed shows and ended up on the same one together. 

Tara spent most of 2002 feuding with the RAW Divas, who by that point had been joined by Victoria. She had many matches between Trish, Victoria, Jacqueline and Jazz and Tara's character came close to winning the Women's title on several occasions. In reality though, Tara wasn't too upset at not being pushed for the goal. She just enjoyed working with four wonderful women in the ring and putting on a great show for the fans. To her, that was reward enough.

As 2002 went on and they approached a New Year, Tara started picking up on Jeff's strange behaviour. She hadn't taken too much notice at first but now it was becoming more of a factor. Despite not wanting to believe what she had heard, Tara was starting to believe what she had heard about Jeff possibly being involved in drug use. His ring performance was starting to deteriorate and his behaviour became erratic. He started becoming jealous of Tara's friendship with Dwayne and the amount of time she would spend talking to him on the phone; something that had never bothered him before. If she spoke to any of the other male stars, Jeff would become agitated to the point of getting aggressive.

“What the hell is the matter with you Jeff?” Tara asked angrily one night as they finished a show. Jeff had yet again gotten mad at her talking to somebody else; this time Rob Van Dam. Jeff had now started to start no-showing at events, making Tara look bad as she never knew where he was half the time. Tara had got to the point where she'd had enough of his behaviour and was determined to have him up on it. 

It was also beginning to seriously affect their relationship. One minute Jeff was moody to the point of aggressiveness and unpredictable; the next he was loving and sensitive. Tara was becoming more and more confused and stressed and she couldn't take much more. She wanted to know what was going on and where she stood with him. Please don't say it is drugs, I don't think I could deal with it again, not after what Brian did, Tara thought to herself.

Jeff seemed reluctant to answer at first. He knew it was the drugs making him act the way he was, but he didn't want to tell Tara that as he knew that she would leave him. But it was becoming more and more difficult to control his behaviour and he didn't know how to deal with it any more. It felt like lashing out and acting up was the only way he could handle it. 

Jeff didn't look Tara in the eye and began to walk away. The situation was just serving to make him angry. At that moment in time time he didn't want to deal with either her or her nagging. This only served to make Tara even more angry. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him round to look at her. “Don't you dare walk away from me, dammit! I've covered for your behaviour for too damned long and I won't take this shit any more!”

At that moment, Jeff snapped, slapping Tara hard across the face, dropping her to the floor. Tara lay there for a few moments, stunned, unable to process what happened. She slowly began to sit up. Looking into Jeff's eyes, there was angry there, like nothing she had seen before. What had caused him to get to that point where he would snap and hit her? It must be true; it must be drugs. Tara felt so confused and she also felt scared – something she had never felt in Jeff's presence before. I shouldn't be frightened of my own boyfriend, she thought, this is so wrong!

Tara's brain felt so shocked and confused at the slap that she wasn't even aware of the fact that Rob Van Dam and Chris Jericho had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and were confronting Jeff over what he had just done. She was vaguely aware of one of them demanding 'what the Hell did you just do?' And Jeff replying with something along the lines of 'it's none of your business, it's between me and Tara', but she just couldn't process anything properly. Everything was a daze. It wasn't until Chris was crouching in front of her that she was finally aware of what was going on.

“It's okay, Jeff's gone......you alright?” He asked as he helped Tara up to her feet.

“I'm not sure........” Tara began. 

Tara changed hotel rooms that night but she hardly slept for worry and stress. She sat in the middle of the bed, cross legged, dialling the number on her mobile phone for the first person that popped into her head to talk to – Dwayne. She just hoped he wasn't busy filming a scene for The Scorpian King. Please pick up, she thought as the dialling tone kicked in. it went to voice mail. Tara had never felt so disappointed and alone in her entire life. 

Tara put the phone on the bed, staring at it despondently. What now? She was reluctant to call Brian, as she knew he would go ballistic if she told him what had happened. Jeff went AWOL that night and wasn't seen for several days. Rather than take time off, like Vince McMahon suggested, Tara kept working. She didn't want to go back home as she was worried about having to confront Jeff alone. She figured that all the time she was around people, he wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything again. 

Tara knew one thing for certain – their relationship was over. There was no way she would stay with somebody who was becoming so unpredictable and had hit her.


	13. Chapter 13

It was 2003 – and Jeff Hardy no longer worked for the company. After his drug use, erratic behaviour, his refusal to go to rehab and the incident where he slapped Tara, Vince McMahon decided he no longer wished to have him as part of the company. It was bad enough that he was taking the drugs and refusing help, but to hit a woman? Vince didn't want the company to be associated with violence towards women.

Tara was now very single and feeling incredibly heart broken as well as stupid. She couldn't believe she had been the last one to find out for certain that he had been taking drugs. Jeff had known how she felt about it but, rather than try and get help, Jeff had chosen the drugs over their relationship. It hurt – she couldn't believe he had chosen drugs over her. She had always hoped he was better than that. 

Just as expected, when Brian found out, he went crazy. It had taken Tara a lot to convince him not to go and track Jeff down. I don't want you to end up in jail again. It was bad enough the last time. As much as I'd like you to beat him for me, it isn't worth it. But at least she wasn't to be homeless as Brian pretty much told Tara she would live with him and Teeny until she found her feet again.

The trouble started for Tara after she had dumped Jeff. She got continuous telephone calls to the point that she was forced to change her cell phone number. After selling their house, she then got the continuous e-mails, telling her what a bitch she was for dumping him and selling the house when apparently she had no right. The house was in my name so I can do what I like, Tara replied before having his e-mail address blocked. The thing that had hurt most about selling up after barely eighteen months living together was that Tara had truly believed they would get married and have children in that very house. But it wasn't to be.

After Dwayne had come back to the company and aligned himself with RAW, the first thing he did when he came back to the show was pace around the arena trying to find Tara. He had heard all about what had happened with Jeff and his continued behaviour after Tara had left him and sold their home. He felt terribly guilty for not being around when the shit had hit the fan for Tara. He knew things probably were going to end that way, but he had hoped that it wouldn't end with her getting slapped like she had.

Dwayne eventually found Tara sat alone in the ladies locker room. From what he had heard, it appeared that the other Divas currently found it way too awkward to be around her. At first it was almost like she didn't even notice him as he entered the locker room and quietly closed the door behind him. Either that or she didn't want to notice him. He would no doubt soon find out.

“I suppose you're just here to say 'I told you so', aren't you,” Tara stated rather than asked as Dwayne sat down next to her. 

“No, I wasn't. I just wanted to see you. I didn't want any of it to be true. I already feel bad, as it is, for not being here when everything kicked off.”

“Why did I have to be the last one to know?”

Dwayne wanted to point out that the signs had been there all along but she had chosen to ignore them. But he knew full well he would most likely get a slap in the face if he didn't word it correctly. Tara obviously felt bad enough about the situation as it was without him making feel worse about herself. 

“To be fair Tara, if any of us had said anything to you, would you have believed us?” Dwayne felt this was probably the safest way to say it.

Tara shrugged. “Probably not but someone could've at least tried to stop me making a complete fool of myself. Do you have any idea what it's like for me in the women's locker room right now? No-one wants to even be in the same room as me, let alone talk to me. I'm just the druggie fucker! No doubt they probably think I deserved the slapping I got.”

This just made Dwayne angry because, first of all, he certainly didn't think she deserved the abuse she got from Jeff; not just the slap but all the other stuff that went with it like Jeff's jealousy and rages. Secondly, if the other Divas really did think she deserved what happened because she was, in her own words, “the druggie fucker”, then they all needed a damn good slap themselves for being so ignorant. Since when had any of them been perfect? Nobody could've known that Jeff was going to act the way he did when he and Tara first got together.

It took some time to drag Tara out of her low mood, or at least get her to a better place than where she had been when Dwayne had first found her. Despite knowing she would probably rather be left alone, he was determined to not leave her on her own. Eventually they were called for their backstage promo. Once it was over and they were no longer needed, the two friends headed back to their hotel. 

At first Tara had been reluctant to go crash in Dwayne's room but, when looking at the alternative of yet another night sitting in her room feeling totally alone, with the chance that Jeff could potentially show up unannounced and cause trouble, she opted to spend some time in her best friend's company. People were going to talk about her either way so she would rather spend the evening with Dwayne. After all, the idiots of the company already thought she was sleeping with her best friend anyway, so what difference did it make. So, what the Hell, she had thought, if we have to crash in the same double bed then so be it. I'd rather be miserable with Dwayne as company than be miserable on my own like I have ever since Jeff slapped me and walked out that night.

Tara kicked off her shoes, piled up a bunch of pillows and leaned back on them, putting her MP3 player earphones in her ears. She had no idea where life was going to take her from there. Well at least I don't have homelessness to worry about on to of druggie ex, she thought as she idly watched Dwayne move around the room getting himself ready for bed. And I still have my career at least.

She hadn't even noticed that Dwayne had finished in the bathroom until he sat on the bed next to her. She opened her eyes and lifted her head up.

“I thought you'd fallen asleep on me,” Dwayne said.

Tara shook her head, “I was just thinking.....”

“You ought to watch all that thinking. It gives you a headache.” 

Tara gave him a friendly punch in the arm. “Shut up, you!”

Grabbing her belongings that she would need, it didn't take Tara very long to shower and change. In any other situation she probably would have felt weird about sharing a room with a male friend. But with Dwayne it felt perfectly normal, almost like sharing with a female friend. For the first time in a while Tara could feel herself actually relaxing a little, which made a chance. Hopefully I might get some sleep for a chance, she mused, climbing into bed. Although, once they got talking, it was a while before either of them got to sleep. That night was the best night's sleep Tara had since the break up.


	14. Chapter 14

Tara woke the next morning from the best night's sleep she'd had in weeks. For a brief moment, due to the disorientation of just waking up and being in a different hotel room, she forgot that she and Jeff had split up. She rolled over in bed and saw the bed was empty. She frowned as she suddenly remembered. This had been happening a lot recently and it was driving Tara mad. I need to forget the bastard, she thought, feeling annoyed with herself yet again, he was no good for me. Then she heard the voice from the balcony. 

Reality set in. She had spent the night with Dwayne. She had crashed in his room as she didn't want to be on her own, not when Jeff had been stalking and harassing her for weeks since they broke up and Tara sold their home. From what she had been hearing, he had been descending further and further into drug abuse; using harder drugs and apparently he was also now drinking on top of it. Stupid as it seemed, part of Tara couldn't help but feel his further descent into the madness was her fault; if she hadn't left him and she had tried to convince him to go to rehab, he wouldn't be acting even more unhinged. 

As she turned back towards the window she could now see Dwayne. He was dressed in jeans and a plain light coloured shirt and was bare foot. He had his back to her. He was talking on his cell phone. From the way he was speaking, he was obviously talking to his wife. That was then when Tara felt that tiny pang of envy. So much for her hopes for being married and having children with Jeff. She hoped Dwayne appreciated how lucky he was that his relationship with Dany was strong and the fact that they now had a child together. 

The way her luck seemed to go with men, Tara wondered if she'd ever meet someone worth it. After all the previous boyfriends she'd had, Tara had honestly thought Jeff had been the one she would settle down with and have a family with. So much for that idea. Stop thinking about Jeff dammit! Her inner voice shouted. That's what he wants; for you to be constantly stressed and frightened. Tara wondered if maybe she should date women instead after all the bad luck she was having with men. That would give my parents something to think about, Tara thought, a small grin crossing her face briefly.

Tara slowly sat up. Now that her best friend was back Tara didn't feel so bad about work or being alone in hotels any more. Dwayne was back to support her. Phone calls and emails were all very well and good but she preferred having him around in person. Dwayne had finished his call and had come back into the room. 

“You're awake now then,” he stated more than asked.

“You think?” Tara answered, trying not to smile and make a comment back along the lines of 'like it wasn't obvious Mr Genius of the year'.

That cute boyish grin appeared and Dwayne sat on the bed, facing her. “At least you appear to be in a better mood this morning. I know when you're in a crappy mood as I don't get the sarcastic comments or get called a Diva.”

Tara shrugged. “Don't you worry, I'm working up to the verbal abuse,” Tara replied. “I guess it's because I slept so well last night. I haven't done that for a while. Maybe it was knowing you were with me.”

“Well, that's what I'm here for.” Dwayne pushed a strand on of hair away from her face. Tara dropped her gaze and sighed. “What is it?” He asked.

“I guess I was hoping things wouldn't end up like this. I thought Jeff and I would get married and eventually have a family. Hearing you talking to your wife made me wonder if I'll ever be happy.” She shrugged. “The way things are going, guess not.”

The fact that Tara was convinced she would never be happy made him feel a little sad. She was beautiful and funny and, unlike some of the Divas that had been through the company, she actually had a personality to back up her looks. She also worked hard and had earned a great deal of respect from most of the locker room. The only person she probably hadn't really gotten along with was Shawn Michaels. 

There had been far too many occasions when he appeared to have deliberately caused trouble for other stars and Tara had even admitted to Dwayne that it wouldn't surprise her if it had been him who had started the rumour that they were sleeping together especially as he had apparently done the same to Bret Hart. Dwayne didn't particularly like Michaels either if he was honest. Tara didn't like people who did such things so she generally kept away from him as much as possible unless she had to work with him. In such situations she would suck it up and get along with it.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Dwayne stood up and decided he was going to order them breakfast from room service. Tara smiled slightly and agreed that she would like that. She climbed out of bed and showered and dressed. After enjoying breakfast together, it was only a short drive to their next destination. They became travel buddies after that day. Now that Luna had left the WWE, Tara had gone back to travelling alone, which she found boring. It was nice to have the company again. His excitement over becoming a father was endearing and Tara liked hearing about what Simone was learning to do and say. Room sharing started to become a regular thing with them too. Tara felt a lot safer sharing a room with her friend rather than sleeping alone.

Their in-ring characters occasionally worked together on-screen but it appeared the creative team wanted to push Tara more as a competitor in her own right. It appeared that the fans loved seeing Tara act like an insane bitch towards the other Divas by claiming she the better than all of them, causing her to end up in many-a-scrap with the other women, usually Trish or Jazz. The fans were crazy for it so the creative team stuck with it. All the time she was still enjoying being the crazy super bitch, and the fans still liked it, Tara didn't see why the character should be changed. 

Wrestlemania 19 was a scream for Tara. Not just because it was to be her first Wrestlemania she would actually be involved in a match herself, after ten years with the company, she was to be involved with the Stone Cold V The Rock match. 

In the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania, there had been rumours hinted at on-screen that Tara was planning to be at ringside during the Stone Cold/Rock match. This proved to be somewhat of a distraction for the Rattlesnake and The Rock played on the obvious – if somewhat unintentional – mind games that Stone Cold's ex manager was playing with him. Or maybe it wasn't so unintentional as some speculated. 

But hadn't Tara always played mind games when it came to the Rattlesnake ever since she betrayed him? She has always used that to her advantage against him, whether it be for her own ends or to the advantage of The Rock. But I wouldn't put it past her to do it just for the sheer hell of it, one of the commentators pointed out on air one week.

On the night, the fans were on tenterhooks. Would she be there for The Rock – Stone Cold match? Or was she just deliberately misleading everyone to mess with their heads? Tara was scheduled to wrestle that night in a four way match against Trish, Victoria and Jazz for the women's title but nothing had been confirmed as to what Tara would do for the men's match. She had been deliberately ambiguous over it.

That evening, as the event approached, Tara paced around the locker room. She was nervous about competing in her first Wrestlemania match. Jazz, sensing Tara's nervousness, sat with her for a while and just spoke positive things to her. 

“Stupid, isn't it,” Tara admitted. “I've been in the company all this time and I'm getting scared over a Wrestlemania match.”

“It isn't stupid at all,” Jazz replied. “I think we all get the days where something that wouldn't normally bother us suddenly does because we're doing things a little differently. You're a great performer, you'll do just fine.”

Although it wasn't Tara's turn to become women's champion that night, all four women gave an outstanding performance for the fans. Tara's body hadn't hurt so much in her entire career but she didn't complain. She felt it had been worth it and she looked forward to the day that she and Trish would have a rematch in which Tara would win and become the champion, as Vince McMahon was thinking of pushing her as women's champion. He felt it was the least she deserved after ten years of working her backside off and taking a heck of a lot of bumps along the way including a broken neck.

Backstage all four women had a group hug and her three competitors also apologised for their previous behaviour if they had made her feel bad over what had happened with Jeff. Tara couldn't help but develop a tremendous amount of respect for Trish, Jazz and Victoria after that night. She had always respected them as fellow athletes but her respect grew even more after that. 

Pulling off her wrestling attire and taking a shower, Tara found her ringside outfit for the upcoming Stone Cold – Rock match. It was different from her usual trademark tiny denim shorts and tiny vest top. It was black trousers, a white shirt tied up at the front and heels. It had been Tara's idea as she thought it would add to the mind games her character was already playing. Tara waited backstage a the men got ready to go to the ring. As Stone Cold was about to go, he joked to Tara, “if you're going to hit me with a chair again, can you not do it quite so hard this time?”

Tara laughed. “What's the matter tough guy? You getting so old you can't take the bumps any more?”

“Not the way you keep dishing them out, you sadist! I like my head attached to my neck.”

Tara made her entrance around the midway point of the match. All she did was stand a few feet away from the ring and watch the match, her arms folded across her chest. It proved to be all the distraction The Rock needed and it eventually won him the match as the Rattlesnake seemed more bothered about is ex manager than his opponent. Once the Rock had won, all Tara did was walk away smiling. It left the fans confused. Why had Tara just stood at ringside then walked away without any involvement in the match?

There was to be a continuation of Tara's mind games with the Rattlesnake, which was to lead to a very physical feud between them resulting in Stone Cold finally getting his revenge on his treacherous ex manager. But sadly it was to turn out that Wrestlemania was to be Austin's last match, although no-one knew it at the time. It was to transpire that, in the end, Austin was medically unable to wrestle any more so the physical part of the feud between him and Tara was to be dropped and Austin was “fired” for medical reasons.


	15. Chapter 15

Tara collapsed onto the bed. Even though she had wrestled so many times before, it felt like the Wrestlemania match had taken a lot more than usual out of her. Having only just heard that her planned feud with Austin had now been dropped due to medical reasons on Austin's part also left her a little bummed out. She had been totally unaware that he had been wrestling against doctors' advice for some time but had now reached a point where he had to retire or risk permanent paralysis or even death. Tara hadn't known things had gotten to that point for him. But it was so like him to be stubborn. Part of her felt kind of pissed at the situation as she wanted their characters to have a clear end to their feud with the Rattlesnake finally getting back at her for all the trouble she had caused.

What now for my character? Tara wondered. With both Jeff and Steve gone, there's not much point continuing with all the previous stuff. I guess 'bitch Tara' will be at a bit of a lose for a while unless they keep me roped in with The Rock.

She dragged herself off the bed and decided she would jump in the shower before Dwayne returned. The hot water did nothing to ease her sore body. Tara was sure she hadn't felt so tired before. Well, apart from when she moved in with Jeff when she had all the hassle going on with Rena Mero on top of that. Tara frowned. She had heard rumours that Rena was meant to be coming back to the company. Yeah, wonderful, not! Tara muttered.

Hearing the door click open and shut, Tara dragged herself out of her musings and wrapped the towel around herself. It was weird how being around Dwayne in just a towel didn't bother her when it would if it had been anyone else. But Tara didn't think much of it now. It was just normal for her now. Wondering into the room, Dwayne cocked an eyebrow and purposely made a point of checking her out.

“I didn't know half naked women in your room were part of room service these days,” Dwayne said, grinning. “Maybe I should stay here more often.”

Tara pretended to be annoyed. “Seriously, Dwayne, you're such a pervert!”

“Well, if you will walk around with nothing on........”

“That's not the point!” Walking over to her suitcase, Tara winced as her muscles yet again protested, and her neck was starting to play up as well. 

That's when she noticed the hands on her shoulders, guiding her over to the bed. Before she could argue with him or protest over the fact that she was still naked under her towel, Dwayne said “you look like you need a back rub. It's pretty obvious from where I'm standing.”

Lying on her front on the bed and keeping the towel covering her backside, Tara figured she wouldn't bothering arguing with him. She was too tired and sore to care. Feeling his hands start gliding across her body, Tara decided she would it to the list of reasons she was envious of his wife. Dwayne paid special attention to her neck, being careful not to go too rough but knowing it was no doubt aching like crazy at that point, thanks to her crazy shenanigans in the ring that night. 

I wish you would take it easy sometimes, Dwayne mused internally as he helped his friend to relax and rest. You don't need to prove yourself as much as you think. Everyone adores you. I just wish you would see that.

Before either of them knew it Tara had fallen asleep. With a gentle smile Dwayne moved Tara so that he could throw the blanket over her, not in the least bit fazed by her nakedness. At that moment in time neither of them knew fate had plans for the two of them - Jeff Hardy shaped plans. Tara's life was to be changed in a very dramatic way thanks to his actions. The following night, The Rock was put into a feud with Goldberg, whilst Tara was put into a feud with Trish Stratus. 

The Trish-Tara feud started due to Tara interrupting Trish's backstage interview to air the fact that she felt disgruntled that she had lost the previous night to Trish, feeling she would have beat Trish had Victoria and Jazz not been involved in the match at Wrestlemania. The verbal sparring resulted in a massive cat fight in which several referees had to try and break up. 

This was a feud that probably wasn't such a big surprise to most fans, as the two women didn't like each other. Tara had been so disrespectful for so long that it was only a matter of time before someone took a personal dislike to her and took it upon themselves to kick Tara's ass. Many people had tried but they didn't often get very far. Maybe this time Trish would be the one to kick Tara into touch and teach her a lesson.

Both Tara and the Rock, over the following few weeks, would help each other in their respective feuds. This only served to make their enemies more mad at them. As the company's resident trouble makers it was just expected of them. When Blacklash approached, Trish and Tara were scheduled for a women's title match and the creative team wanted to have Tara defeat Trish and become the champion.

On the night of Blacklash, Tara was psyched and ready. She was excited at the prospect of becoming the champion. But little did she know that the night was to take a turn for the worst for her. For weeks now, Jeff had slipped further and further into his drink and drugs hell and he had irrationally decided to confront Tara at Blacklash. He was, by now, completely convinced that Tara had been seeing Dwayne behind his back all the time she was with him and that had been the reason why she had dumped him. All evening Jeff loitered near the arena, waiting to see Tara arrive and go in. He knew it would be a while before she left as the event would be a few hours long. He could wait.

Tara waited backstage. Her match was up next. The crowd sounded just as psyched as she was. Tara revelled in the boos from the crowd as her music started and she headed to the ring. When Trish headed to ring, the crowd went crazy for her. It was a back and forth match and the fans honestly thought it would go either way on many occasions. But it was Tara that got the win with a Swanton Bomb, a move she hadn't done since she and Jeff had split and he'd left the company. At one point it had been a common occurrence to see her do the move as her character briefly adopted her ex-partner's dare-devil tactics of doing high risk high flying moves.

The fans were left in shock that Tara had won the gold. Dragging herself to her feet, Tara gloated and shouted at the crowd “I told you I would take the gold!” She also put the boot into Trish a couple of times for good measure, causing the commentators to have a “how can she kick her whilst she's down?” rant. Grabbing the belt from the referee, Tara skipped out of the ring and up the aisle, hugging the belt and generally looking a bit crazy.

It was late by the time the event finished and Tara was still buzzing. She had loved the reaction her win over Trish had got. They had wanted their Golden Girl to win and teach Tara a lesson in manners and respect, like she had promised. Instead Tara had won and taken the title from her. Dwayne had encouraged her to go on ahead to their shared car and wait for him, as he had one or two things to do before leaving the arena. The parking lot was quite and mostly empty as she approached their car. 

Initially she didn't even notice Jeff approaching her quietly from behind. It wasn't until he grabbed her, swung her around and pinned her against the vehicle that she knew he was there. She was alone and trapped with her crazy ex and she had no idea what to do. The state Jeff was in at that moment he could be capable of anything. Tara could tell he was totally high on something and he smelled like he had been drinking too.

“Jeff! What the hell!?” She cried out, trying to free herself but he had her firmly pinned.

“You're nothing but a cheap whore!” He yelled in her face. “You were sleeping with him all along, weren't you!” He shoved her harder back against the vehicle then released her. 

Where the hell is everyone? I could really use some help here, Tara thought, glancing around the parking lot. As she glanced about, something shiny caught her eye. Much to her distress, Jeff had a knife. 

“If I can't have you then nobody will!” 

With that Jeff lunged at her. Tara dodged to one side and felt a sharp pain in her left arm as the knife caught her forearm. Unfortunately for her, Tara had left her suitcase in the worst place possible and, as she tried to escape, she instead only succeeded in tripping herself up. Tara practically face-planted herself in the process. Jeff was straight on her, stabbing at her repeatedly. He was deranged and crazy and was determined that nobody else would ever have her. Tara was struggling, screaming and crying, trying desperately to get away but she was unable to compete with Jeff's strength and weight pinning her.

Oh my God! This is it! I'm going to die here tonight. Tara couldn't see any hope for herself. Everything was starting to black out. Abruptly the attack stopped and Jeff disappeared. As her world started to disappear Tara was vaguely aware of the sounds of voices, of movement and then the sirens. Then it all went quiet.


	16. Chapter 16

The company went into complete pandemonium after Tara's stabbing. Everyone was scared; scared that Jeff would turn up at another arena and attack another superstar. If he had decided to attack Tara for supposedly sleeping with another man, even though it was all in his head, then what would stop him from attacking somebody else because they had some connection with Tara. Vince McMahon had no qualms about helping the police find Jeff Hardy. He wanted the man behind bars. He also insisted that at least one security guard be outside of Tara's hospital room at any one time, twenty four hours a day. The last thing he wanted was for the deranged Hardy to take another opportunity to attack Tara and try to finish the job.

The night the attack had happened Jeff had been disturbed half way through the attack, hence why the attack had stopped so abruptly. He had been disturbed by Jerry Lawler and Chris Jericho as they were leaving the arena. At first they hadn't realised what was going on until they saw Tara lying in a pool of her own blood, barely conscious and breathing. Jeff had ran before they could react but their interruption of the attack and their quick thinking in using rudimentary first aid skills had ultimately saved Tara's life. 

Dwayne, oblivious to what had just happened to Tara, had wandered into the parking lot to complete chaos. There were police and paramedics swarming all over the place. When it dawned on him what was going on, it took all that Jerry Lawler and Chris Jericho had to keep him back whilst the paramedics tended to Tara. Distraught, Dwayne was convinced that it was all his fault that she had been attacked. If I hadn't left her alone, this wouldn't have hadn't! he exclaimed, I should have made her stay with me! 

For days afterwards, Dwayne struggled with what had happened and he withdrew into his own little world, hiding out in his hotel room and barely talking to anyone. He ignored called to his cell phone, only answering the calls he really had to answer. He decided he wanted to be the one to speak to Tara's brother and let him know what had happened. For some reason Dwayne felt it would be better coming from him rather than anyone else. Brian said he would get to Mississippi as soon as possible.

Dwayne was at the hospital every day to visit her and would only leave when the staff practically threw him out and made him go back to his nearby hotel to sleep. Although Tara was unconscious Dwayne would sit with her for several hours. He hated himself for allowing Tara to go out into the parking lot on her own. Now she was lying in hospital having live saving surgery. He played that evening over and over in his head. If only he had insisted she waited for him. If only he'd walked to the car with her. 

It was around a week before Tara awoke in hospital. She had been kept in a drug induced coma as a precaution after having to have major surgery to save her life. She had lost a ridiculous amount of blood and the doctors had, at one point, weren't sure if she would make it. Luckily for Tara, she did but she was put into the coma for a couple of days in order to help her recover more quickly. When they were happy that she could recover without any help, they brought her out of the coma.

Every time she awoke and opened her eyes, everything felt too loud and bright, causing Tara screwed up her eyes and groaned slightly. Then the pain would set it. She felt like she'd been run over. The pain was mainly across her abdomen, the area where the knife had hit the most and she'd had the surgery. On one particular day, a few days after Tara had regained consciousness, she was vaguely aware of the door to her private room opening but she didn't open her eyes. Tara kept her eyes shut, half expecting it to be a doctor or a nurse. But the voice told a different story.

“Don't pretend you're asleep Lilo. The staff told me you're awake.” Tara opened one eye and saw it was Brian. He looked beyond exhausted and worried. No doubt he had travelled for far too long with much sleep. Travelling from Florida to Mississippi wasn't exactly the shortest journey in the world, taking over twenty hours if you travelled non-stop without breaks. Tara forced herself to open both eyes. 

“You took your time,” Tara replied, forcing a smile.

“What the hell happened? How did things get so bad that Jeff tried to kill you?” Brian grabbed a chair and sat at her bedside.

Tara closed her eyes, sighed then opened them again. “I guess the drugs and the drinking have finally tipped him right over the edge. He got it into his head that the stupid rumour was true and that I was sleeping with Dwayne all the time I was with him. Mind you, didn't everyone think I was banging Bret at one point?”

They talked for what felt like hours. Tara promised that she would go to Florida to stay with him when she was well enough to leave hospital and travel and she joked about how it seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence. The doctors had told her she would probably be in hospital for a couple of weeks so they could be sure she was healing properly and that her body had recovered from the blood lose. It was only when Dwayne arrived that Brian decided it was time to make himself scarce. Dwayne tried to convince Brian that he didn't have to leave on his account. As the men spoke, Tara noticed Dwayne looked even worse than Brian had. He definitely hadn't been sleeping properly by the looks of it and the stress and worry was taking a toll. 

Dwayne sat down in the vacant seat that Brian had left. Gently running her fingers down his cheek, Tara stated rather than saying, “you're not looking after yourself properly.”

He tried to force a smile. “I've been too busy worrying about you.”

“But I don't want you to get sick. You have a family to worry about. I'm sure they wouldn't want you to get sick either. It's bad enough that my own brother has driven here on hardly any sleep right after long haul flight.”

A chuckle. “The attack can't have effected you that badly if you can still find the energy to be bossy.”

“I will never stop being bossy where you're concerned.”

Dwayne informed Tara that Jeff had finally been caught up with and was now in a secure unit awaiting trial. As strange as it was Tara wasn't sure if she was happy or not. Yes, she was happy that now, hopefully, she would be safe from him and any future attacks. But why did part of her feel sad at the same time? She pushed it to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to worry about him, she needed to concentrate on herself and getting better. 

Over the next few days Tara felt inundated with visitors and 'Get Well Soon' cards and presents from her colleagues. Dwayne and Brian were a constant. Luna Vachon made a detour to see Tara despite having not that long returned from doing an independent wrestling company tour around Europe. She felt awful for her lack of contact over the past few months, but Tara insisted it wasn't her fault, telling her that taking the chance to travel Europe didn't make her a bad person. Both Trish Stratus and Amy Dumas visited her. Amy seemed to be healing well after her neck injury and she was hoping she could get back to playing her 'Lita' role very soon once she was declared fit enough.

Even if Dwayne hadn't realised his feelings towards Tara at that point, Brian certainly noticed. He noticed the subtle body language between the two of them. Part of him wanted to challenge the other man, to find out if his intentions were honourable – he didn't want a married man messing about with his sister. But the sensible part of him stopped him from doing so. He was well aware that they were close friends and they had always had a certain amount of chemistry and banter between them both in and outside of the ring. Besides, wasn't it natural for Dwayne to be distressed over what happened? Deciding that intervening at this point wouldn't be sensible, and would probably alienate Tara, Brian decided he would watch from afar for now.

You try any funny business Dwayne, Brian thought, and I will personally hunt you down and break your legs myself.


	17. Chapter 17

So, there she was, yet again. On the road to recovery. Tara had become sick and tired of watching the TV within the first couple of days. It seemed like everyone was going on about the attack on her, and she had gotten to the point where she was fed up of hearing about it. I'm the one living through it, I don't need reminding of it every damn day, she thought, as she lay in her hospital bed. So she had quit watching TV after the first few days.

During her stay in hospital, Tara had received two visitors she hadn't expected at all; Rena Mero and Shawn Michaels. Considering their history Tara hadn't expected them to turn up to see her at all. Thankfully they visited separately. Tara wasn't sure she wouldn't have been able to cope with them both at the same time so she was thankful for the separate visits. Shawn admitted that he had been very mean, verging on immaturity, towards her, Dwayne and Bret on the many occasions when he had tried to cause trouble for them with the rumours he had started. 

Maybe turning to God and getting married had done him some good after all. Tara told him that, although she wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive, she appreciated the effort he had made to visit and apologise for his past actions; she just needed time before she could decide whether or not she could forgive him.

Rena's visit was the most difficult for Tara. They had always had a very volatile relationship with each other and Tara wasn't really all that thrilled when Rena first arrived. But Tara figured that, with any luck, Rena wouldn't be stupid enough to cause trouble in a hospital so decided to hear what the other woman had to say for herself. The first thing Rena did when she entered the room was smile and hold up a 1 kilo bag of Reece's Pieces with both hands. A peace offering, in her words. For some crazy reason, Tara couldn't help but laugh. It was a well known fact that Tara loved Reece's Pieces to the point of addiction.

Tara noticed there was something different about Rena. It was almost like she had mellowed a little bit in the years since they last worked together. Rena admitted that, upon hearing about what had happened to Tara, she had decided to attempt to bury the hatchet as she didn't want them to be fighting any more. Rena was glad to hear that Tara had left Jeff after the slapping incident. It was a shame that Jeff hadn't been able to just leave her alone and seemed determined to keep trying to ruin her life, even after Tara had left and cut off contact.

“I wouldn't wish any kind of domestic violence on anyone, not even my worst enemy,” Tara admitted. “Nobody should have to go through that.”

Having a visit from Jerry Lawler and Chris Jericho was the nicest of all. Tara finally got the chance to thank them personally for their quick thinking and action. Had it not been for them, she probably wouldn't alive.

Tara was glad when the day arrived that meant she could leave hospital. She was so sick of them. Brian drove her back home to Florida and they did the journey in two parts over two days. Tara didn't really feel up to travelling for long periods of time. She was too sore, too tired and the dressings on her wounds weren't exactly comfortable. At least she knew she would have a decent doctor to look after her in Florida. He was the same one who had looked after her after she had broken her neck.

On top of getting well, Tara was having to deal with Jeff's trial. He had been caught and arrested whilst she had been in hospital. Tara had been curious to know why the security guards hadn't been showing up for a couple of days but now it made sense. She had heard the rumours during her hospital stay; that due to his drink and drug abuse, he might be considered too mentally ill to stand trial and, if he did stand trial, he would most likely be put into a secure mental hospital rather than jail because his crime would be likely seen as diminished responsibility due to the drink and drugs.

The thing that made Tara saddest of all was having to drop the women's title. The title had been collected from her during her hospital stay and there were now plans for a battle royale between the females stars to crown a new champion. That was the one thing that bothered Tara most of all. It had taken ten years for her to get her title shot match and champion storyline; only to have the opportunity cruelly taken from her. If anything she resented Jeff for what he did to her. 

The moment Tara and Brian arrived in Florida, Tara made her excuses to Brian and Teeny about being completely shattered and wanting to sleep, and headed for bed. In fact she just wanted to be alone so that she could brood over her situation. Although she wasn't completely lying as she did feel tired. She dug out her cell phone. She had the usual text messages from Luna, checking that she was okay and had managed to survive the trip back home to Florida. There were also messages from Trish and Amy, pretty much voicing the same concern and best wishes. But there wasn't anything from Dwayne and Tara had to shake herself to stop herself feeling disappointed. 

She signed and dropped the phone on the bed, showered then dug around in her suitcase for sleep wear. Climbing into bed as gently as she could, Tara just lay there for a while and almost jumped a foot when her phone rang. 

Her heart jumped when she heard the familiar voice of Dwayne. “Hey. I'm sorry it's getting a little late. I've been filming but I couldn't not call you. I wanted to know if you got home okay.”

Tara smiled to herself. Just hearing his voice made everything seem that little bit better. They talked for hours and it was gone midnight before the call ended and Tara finally attempted to sleep, despite the discomfort of her injuries. It was late the following morning when she finally woke up. That became almost a routine for Tara over the next couple of days. She would go to bed early and sleep late. Her body obviously needed the rest. Almost every night for that first week Dwayne would call her to see how she was settling in and coping. On those nights Tara would fall asleep happier. 

In an attempt to cheer Tara up, Brian's finance, Teeny, took Tara to her beauty salon and treated her to the works over the course of a couple of days – a full waxing of everything, eyebrow plucking, a facial, a manicure and pedicure and a hair cut. After everything Tara had been through, Teeny felt she deserved something nice. 

Tara closed her eyes and enjoyed having her hair washed by somebody else. It was kind of weird but it was relaxing. The rest of her was now looking wonderful and it was certainly helping her feel better about herself. It didn't change the fact that she was still in pain and still healing. But having this attention paid to her lifted her spirits for those few days.

“Hey, don't you go falling asleep on me,” Teeny said gently as she turned off the water.

Tara forced herself to open her eyes and smiled. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

For the next few months, her body healed from the attack and she had therapy to recover from the emotional trauma. Tara had a tough time dealing with insomnia and mild depression. The combination of lack of sleep and the depression caused Tara to have random crying fits for absolutely no reason and with no warning. Brian would do his best to console her when Tara got like this. He would sit her down on the sofa, hug her and just let her cry it out.

The stab wounds healed but Tara was left with horrible scars. The scars made her feel ugly and she would wear long tops that covered the scars on her abdomen and on her forearms. It pained Brian to see his younger sister lose her self confidence. Although she had never been a self conceited, Tara had always been a very confident woman who no qualms about wearing something revealing as she knew she looked good enough to wear it and look great. But now she couldn't bear to be seen naked even by those she was closest to. Tara began wearing clothes that completely covered her up.

Tara had to watch as the belt that had been hers for only a couple of hours changed hands. Gail Kim won the vacant belt at a battle royal in the June. From then on the belt changed hands between Gail Kim, Molly Holly, Lita, Trish Stratus and Jazz. Tara stopped watching WWE on TV after a while as it started to make her miserable.

At least she was spared the trauma of having to go to court to testify against Jeff Hardy. He was found guilty of attempted murder by diminished responsibility and he was sentenced to be locked up in secure unit indefinitely. He was considered too mentally ill to be released. Even though he was now securely locked up, Tara couldn't help but still feel a little scared. She struggled to sleep at night. It became a regular thing for Tara and Luna to talk on the phone late at night just to try and take Tara's mind of things.

It was the kindness of the fans that kept her going through the dark times. She received so much fan mail – letters and gifts. She hadn't realised just home much the fans loved her, despite her in ring character's despicable behaviour. 

When Tara was finally given the all clear to start training again, albeit light training at first, Tara initially questioned if if her heart was still in it. The attack had mentally taken its toll on her. But then she remembered the fans and their love and support. It was the thought she clung to in those early days and kept her going when she slowly began training again.

Regular visits from Luna Vachon also helped Tara fight towards getting better. Tara always seemed genuinely happy to see the older woman every time she came to visit. She would encourage Tara to go out for walks along the beach, where they would often sit and talk about everything and nothing. Seeing Tara hide herself in jeans, baggy tee shirts and hoodie tops made Luna sad. She felt Tara was far too pretty to be hiding herself away under unflattering clothes. But Luna would make a point of talking about positive things to her in the hope that they would help her on the road to recovery.

Apart from the visits from Luna, the only other time the old Tara seemed to come back to the surface was when Dwayne rang her to see how she was doing. Brian saw how her whole demeanour seemed to completely change. The sparkle in her eyes came back and she would have a genuine smile on her face. 

During this time, Tara didn't hear from her parents. She knew that they knew, as her attack had been major news and old friends from her days in Hawaii had contacted her to see how she was doing either via letter or email. Tara wasn't really all that surprised that they didn't bother with her. Their silence said it all. It spoke volumes.


	18. Chapter 18

It was 2005 before Tara felt she was able to cope with competing again. Walking into the arena that night felt weird, knowing she would be getting into the ring for the first time since the attack. The backstage area seemed like a whole new place with new people around. Tara felt like she was starting all over again and she wasn't sure that she liked it, especially now she was effectively on her own. Her brother had left the company and was now retired; her best girl friend Luna Vachon had also left the company and spent more time travelling the world performing on the independent circuit. Dwayne was off making movies and didn't really spend much time wrestling – not full time at least. 

Tara couldn't help but feel that she was in a pretty lonely place. It wasn't like she didn't get along with people because she did. About 90 percent of the wrestlers in the back liked her and she liked them. But there were very few people Tara trusted and classed as friends, and those people weren't there any more. That evening Tara kept to herself. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't there to be anyone's friend. She was there to do a job. Life was just easier that way; or was it because she just found it difficult to get close to anyone and simply chose not to make friends?

2005 going into 2006 was to be a somewhat interesting time, although Tara was thankful that, for a change, she wasn't part of it on a personal level. Tara had guessed that there had been something going on between her friend, Amy, and Adam “Edge” Copeland, for a while. Tara had to admit she seemed to be good at picking up on such things. The only reason she had never said anything was because she felt it wasn't any of her business. Plus she didn't talk to Matt any more as he had gotten it into his head that, somehow, Tara had stitched his brother, Jeff, up and that he hadn't really been abusive or tried to kill her. She didn't pretend she didn't feel sad about it, as the two of them had once been very good friends. But if Matt was determined to blame her for his brother's downfall then what could she do?

Part of her was mad at Amy for her stupidity at getting mixed up with a married man. Well, initially she was until one night when the two women had an opportunity to sit down and properly talk about the situation. Amy told Tara that she hadn't been happy with Matt ever since they got back together after their brief break up. Matt had changed somehow and Amy had become miserable.

“I know that doesn't excuse my behaviour,” Amy pointed out before Tara could tell her off. “I'm ashamed of the fact that I broke up a marriage but I was stupid enough to fall for Adam's 'me and my wife have separated' line, because I was in a bad place with Matt.” 

Tara was glad to hear that Amy had seen the error of her ways and had eventually finished it with their fellow colleague, although apparently he had been less than impressed at being dumped by two women – his now ex wife and his girlfriend – both within a year or so of each other. Tara was disappointed in Adam. He had always seemed like a decent human being. But finding out he was a lying, cheating bastard caused her opinion of him to drop. Seriously, why do men feel the need to be complete jerks? Tara thought to herself.

But Tara refused to let the situation back stage get her down. During the whole Matt-Lita-Edge triangle and Tara generally working her backside off, establishing her place back on the roster, Brian and Teeny had told her that they were finally getting married. They wanted Tara to be part of it and be Maid Of Honour. Tara was ecstatic about the idea. She saw how happy they were together and she had been itching for them to finally tie the knot every since Brian had told her they were engaged.

“That means I'm going to have to wear a dress, doesn't it,” Tara complained, which caused Brian to collapse in a fit of laughter. He knew how much his little sister hated wearing anything that remotely resembled a dress especially after the Wrestlemania Nine dress she had been forced to wear on her debut. Tara had pretty much refused to wear dresses since, both in the company and outside in her private life.

So, for a few months, Tara had the pleasant distraction of the upcoming wedding to prepare for. With everything that had gone on in the past few years, she was actually glad of having something good happen for once. After much debate, with Tara threatening to boycott the wedding if they made her wear anything remotely dress like, Brian agreed to let Tara wear a suit rather than a dress. It was actually a rather pretty suit. Tailored to Tara's shape in white, along with a pale pink blouse and white kitten heel shoes. 

For a time, life was good for Tara. Her brother's wedding went without a hitch. It had been an interesting day especially when some of her sister-in-law's drunk male relatives had tried picking her up at the reception. They had had no idea of who she was; only that she was a pretty face. Tara had smiled sweetly and politely turned them down. After Jeff, she had lost interest in men in that sense. Having your ex boyfriend try to kill you tended to have that effect on you.

Work continued to be good to her. Fans loved her no matter what she did. Her merchandise was selling well and Vince McMahon was happy. There were some in the company that didn't believe what had happened to her; that she had somehow set Jeff up and that she hadn't really been stabbed or had a bad relationship with him. But she reminded herself of what Steve Austin had said; that there will always be those that will be spiteful and shit about you. Tara did her best to shrug it off and kept on working. She worked well with Lita, Jackie, Victoria and Trish, which helped keep her focused and helped to keep her happy at work. Tara didn't let the haters get to her all the time she still had her four favourite Divas to work with.


	19. Chapter 19

Just when life was beginning to look good for Tara, it was to deal her a cruel blow. It had started off as a fairly normal week. Story lines had been kinda quiet for Tara so Vince McMahon had agreed to let her have some time off whilst they figured out where to take her character next. With the prospect of spare time on her hands and sitting in an apartment on her own, Tara instead decided to call big brother and, eventually, she was packing a bag to head off to stay with him.

“I sometimes think you spend more time here than in your own home,” Brian teased when she arrived at the house. 

Tara frowned. “Well, it was either come here and stay with you; or stay at my place and be bored. You know I hate being alone.”

That was the one thing that drove Tara crazy since the attack. She hated being on her own, which was tricky when she was on the road. With Dwayne only working part time for the company, her regular room mate wasn't really around any more. So Tara was usually staying on her own in hotels. It wasn't unusual for her to be awake until the early hours, watching mindless shows on TV until her mind settled enough for her to sleep. Tara would usually call Brian right after finishing house shows and she got back to her hotel. Having been a wrestler himself, Brian knew from experience how wired your mind and body felt after a show, and needing that someone to talk to in order to take your mind off things or talk things out.

Teeny was away for a couple of days, visiting her family, so Brian was actually grateful for his little sister's company. They hadn't spent as much time together as they used to in recent years. For the first couple of days they just hung out at the beach and also trained together at a local gym. One evening they were just chilling out in the front room, drinking beer and talking. Tara didn't remember falling asleep but the next thing she knew, it was morning. Tara grimaced and sat up slowly. It had been a while since she had last drank alcohol and now she had a hangover. Grabbing a shower and putting on fresh clothes, Tara heading for the kitchen to get breakfast. The fact that Brian wasn't up yet didn't bother her at that point. It wasn't until a couple of hours later that Tara began to wonder if he was okay. 

Tara found him still in bed. She just knew instantly that something was wrong. She couldn't explain why she knew but she just did. Tara tried to shake him awake. But Brian was unresponsive and didn't appear to be breathing. Panic set in as Tara tried desperately to wake him up. Grabbing the land line phone on the bedside table and rang for paramedics. But her gut instinct told Tara that he was gone. But she refused to believe it. Everything seem to become a blur. Tara continued to use CPR. The paramedics and police arrived. It took they had to remove Tara from the bedroom and into the front room. 

Tara felt numb and she couldn't stop crying. Brian was dead. The only person that meant anything to her was gone. The police officers tried to get a statement out of her but Tara didn't feel like talking to them. Didn't they understand that she had just found her brother dead? In her hysterical state, she felt like they were somehow trying to make her feel that it was somehow her fault. It was a female officer who finally managed to get her calm enough to listen to reason. They needed to know as much information as they could in order to find out what happened to her brother. Tara, after much hesitation, eventually told them as much as she could in her distressed state. 

“Is there anyone you can stay with for a few days?” the officer asked.

After thinking for a while, Tara called the only logical person she could call in this situation; Dwayne. Her hands were shaking like crazy as she dialled his number. It was the most difficult conversation she had ever had with anyone. She broke down in tears a few times but eventually she got it out that her brother was dead. Dwayne didn't hesitate in his decision to come and pick her up. 

“You are staying with me and Dany and no arguments,” he told her matter of factly. “I don't want you being on your own with all of this going on.” He and Dany may have been divorcing but there was no way he was going to let his friend suffer on her own.

After getting off the telephone, Dwayne headed off to fetch Tara as Dany sorted out a guest bedroom for Tara to stay in. Turning up at the house and seeing the police and ambulance crew swarming around made Dwayne feel weird. He didn't even want to think about Tara might feel. He found Tara sat in the front room with a police officer. Tara looked pale and lost. She had lost the one person who had meant anything to her. The rest of her family had affectively abandoned her. Helping her to her feet, Dwayne took hold of Tara'a hand and picked up her bag in the other. The quicker he got her out of there the better. She had been there long enough.

That evening neither Dwayne or Dany could get much out of Tara. She didn't really want to talk nor did she want to eat. Tara felt numb. The one member of her family that she had left was now gone and she had no idea what to do. It seemed like nothing else seemed all that important any more now that Brian was gone. When Tara went to bed that night, she just lay there, curled up in a ball and unable to sleep. Dwayne was sat up late into the night. He had no idea what he was going to do with a grieving friend. He admitted to Dany that he hadn't really had to deal with such a situation before. 

“All you can do is what you have always done; and that's be her friend. She thinks highly of you from what I can tell. Just give her time and she'll open up on her own.”


	20. Chapter 20

Life was never really the same for Tara after Brian's sudden death. As far as she was concerned, she had no family left. Her parents point blank refused to attend their son's funeral, accusing Tara of being the reason he was dead. Tara hadn't really expected much else from them although it still hurt. How could they be that spiteful even after all these years? Their only son was dead yet they didn't want to say goodbye to him. You turned him against us. You turned him into a drug addict. As far as we're concerned, we no longer have either a son or a daughter. That had been her parents' response when Tara had called them to tell them what had happened. Despite knowing they would probably react that way, it still made Tara break down in tears when she hung up the telephone.

The only thing that made it worse was when the coroner came back with the cause of death. Officially his cause of death was “unconfirmed” but, off the record, they told Tara that they suspected drugs. The news broke Tara's heart and in some ways she wished that they hadn't told her their unofficial conclusions. She would have preferred to go through life in ignorance.

Dwayne accompanied Tara to the funeral that day. Tara hardly noticed a thing that day. It was all a blur. She half remembered a conversation between herself, Dwayne and Brian's widow, Teeny. Teeny had wanted to know if Tara was doing okay and wanted to thank Dwayne for taking care of her during such a difficult time.

The one thing Tara did remember was Dwayne taking a hold of her hand and keeping hold of it throughout the entire service. It was such a small act of kindness, but to Tara, it meant the world. It made her realise that maybe she wasn't so alone after all. No matter what, she knew she would always have Dwayne with her as a friend. She was in dire need of that friendship at that moment in her life. There was so little left to feel positive about. His support would prove invaluable. 

For a long time after, Tara was unsure as to where she was going with her life. She wasn't sure she was ready to deal with going back to work – or even if she wanted to return to wrestling full stop. Brian's death and her parents snub of his funeral had hit her very hard. She allowed her contract to expire. It didn't seem all that important to her. Vince McMahon had told her to take as long as she needed to recover from the loss and to not worry about her contract. Her well being was far more important than the company, he had told her. He wanted his top Diva back in the best possible state, if she decided to come back, and they could discuss a new contract later on if she chose to return. If that meant she took four weeks or four years off then so be it. Tara knew she had saved enough money over the years in order to live comfortably for some time, so she wasn't any hurry to make a decision about her future employment plans. 

Tara returned to Tampa briefly to help Teeny get her affairs in order. There seemed to be so much legal stuff to sort out. There was also the reading of his Will. Tara had no idea that a death in the family would be so complicated and long winded. One evening, Tara was sat at the kitchen table with piles of paper work surrounding her. It was getting late and Tara felt shattered. She put down the paperwork she had in her hands, closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. It had been two months now since his death. Tara had no idea how she had gotten through it. If it hadn't been for Teeny, Dwayne and Dany, Tara was pretty sure she would have just given up altogether. 

Teeny's news had also given Tara a reason to keep going. A couple of days before, Teeny had told Tara that she was pregnant with Brian's child. Even though she felt an overwhelming sense of sadness that Brian would never meet this child – he had always wanted to become a father – Tara also felt she had a reason to live. Tara knew she would be the only member of the child's family on its father's side still around. Tara had to be strong for that child and for Teeny.

Gathering up the paperwork, Tara decided to call it a night. She couldn't concentrate when she was tired and she was pretty sure she had done all she could. Going to her bedroom and stripping off, Tara pulled on an old oversized tee shirt and collapsed on to the bed. After a while she drifted off into a fitful sleep. Tara woke up late the following morning when she heard her cell phone beeping quietly. She had a message. She knew before she even opened it that it would be from Dwayne. He wanted to know if she was doing okay and if there was anything he could do for her. 

Teeny was sat at the kitchen table drinking orange juice. Even though she was only around three months pregnant, Teeny was starting to feel the morning sickness. Orange juice was one of the few things she could keep down. But despite that, she still managed to look glamorous. Tara envied her a little. They chatted back and forth for a while. Tara tried to convince herself to eat something but she didn't really feel like it. It appeared that grieve was taking its toll on her appetite. She knew from the look on Teeny's face that she was worried about her. Later that day Teeny made a sneaky call to Dwayne to share her concerns about Tara. Dwayne said he would be happy to come back up to Tampa and take Tara back to Miami with him. It sounded like being in the house where she had found Brian dead wasn't doing her any good. 

Tara was a little surprised the day Dwayne showed up at the house. But she agreed that being in the house probably wasn't the best thing considering what had happened. Teeny insisted that she could handle the remaining paperwork and that her parents were coming to stay with her for a while, so she wouldn't be on her own. 

The drive back to Miami was pleasant. Despite not seeing each other as much as they had liked over the past few years, and they would have preferred to be back together in better circumstances, it felt like Tara and Dwayne hadn't had any time apart. They had fallen back into a normal way of life and conversation. For Tara, she had always felt it was just so easy to be in his company. As they chatted and laughed, a random thought crossed Tara's mind. Is it me or has Dwayne gotten really hot? She mentally shook herself. Stop thinking like that. He's your friend!! And you're probably only thinking like that because you're grieving.

“You okay?” Dwayne asked.

Tara smiled. “Of course, why?”

“You just seemed lost in thought.” Dwayne wasn't buying it for a second. He knew she was anything but okay but she had been through enough without him bothering her further. If she wanted to open up and talk, then she would do so in her own time.

It was twilight by the time they hit Miami and, for some reason, Tara felt exhausted. Maybe now she was giving herself time to relax, everything was catching up with her. Making her excuses to her friend, Tara headed to the spare room and pretty much crashed out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Dwayne stayed awake for some time afterwards, sitting in the front room alone and brooding. Damn it, why was being around her again making him feel like this? Why don't you just be honest with yourself for once. You love her, his subconscious scalded. Dwayne frowned. Yeah right, as if she's interested in me. She just sees me as a friend. But the way she had been looking at him on the drive back to Miami...... He stood up, with the intention of heading to bed to try and sleep and quit thinking about this crazy barrage of feelings and thoughts that had assaulted him out of nowhere. Maybe tomorrow things would make more sense after some sleep. But as he walked past the spare room, he stopped. Opening the door very slightly he was able to see Tara was sound asleep. She looked incredibly beautiful. Closing the door, he headed for his own bed. Dany was sleeping peacefully. Dwayne sighed. Why did life have to be so complicated? 

It was late in the morning by the time Tara woke. Blinking against the bright sun, she glanced at the clock. It was nearly 11am!! What the Hell? She thought. Tara wandered into the kitchen, determined to eat, first of all, then yell at Dwayne for not waking her earlier. There he was, stood in the kitchen, barefoot and topless, just wearing tracksuit bottom, oblivious to her presence and making coffee. For a brief moment, she couldn't help but just stand there and stare like an idiot. It was also the first time she had seen the whole of his Samoan tattoo before. It was incredibly beautiful.

“Do you make it a habit to walk around, not wearing much, when you have female guests in the house?” Tara asked when she finally pulled herself together and walked into the kitchen. She was met with a boyish grin.

“Doesn't bother you, does it?” Dwayne asked.

Deciding to change the subject very quickly, Tara grumbled, “you could've woken me, you know.” 

“You were exhausted, you needed the rest,” he paused and looked over his shoulder at her. “And you look like you haven't been eating very well. You look too thin for my liking.”

“Anything else you wish to point out?” 

Dwayne turned round from the counter to properly face her. He took hold of her hands. “I'm just concerned for you. I don't want you to get sick because you haven't looked after yourself properly.”

His eyes looked concerned, almost edging on sad, that it made Tara feel a bit guilty. Admittedly she hadn't really been sleeping or eating as well as she could. Obviously, her grief was affecting her in other, more physical symptoms that were becoming more obvious to everyone else around her. Dwayne certainly wasn't the first person to notice her weight lose. Maybe she had been ignoring it so she didn't have to deal with it.

Suddenly, his attitude changed and he seemed to become happier again. “Speaking of food, after training my ass off at the gym earlier, I'm starved.”

By the time he had finished, Tara was pretty sure there was enough food to feed a small army. She was sure she hadn't seen so much scrambled egg, bacon and pancakes. So Dwayne's not just a pretty face, he can cook too, Tara thought to herself.

Later that day, nearing evening, Tara was unable to shift the restlessness she was feeling. Unable to figure out the cause of the restlessness, she decided she would go take a walk along the beach. She had often done this back home in Hawaii whenever she had felt this way. Having put on more clothes, after being nagged by Tara to do so, Dwayne joined her. Part of him had felt uncomfortable at the idea of her walking alone and part of him had a desperate need to just be with her. After a lot of soul searching the night before, and losing a lot of sleep too, he had resolved to tell Tara how he felt about her. You only get one chance in life, it's rare you get a second chance, so why not just throw caution to wind and go for it? Tara nearly died a couple of years ago. Maybe her pulling through it is life's way of telling me that we're supposed to be together. He had rationalised to himself as he had trained that morning. 

But then there was Dany, his wife. He still loved her but he wasn't in love with her any more. It had been that way between them for a while. It was a case of they both knew that their marriage had reached that point, but neither of them seemed to want to take that first step and admit out loud that their marriage had fizzled out; that they were more like friends than a married couple. Plus it would mean that Dwayne would also have to admit that his heart was elsewhere and had been for a while now. They seriously needed to have that conversation. The last thing Dwayne wanted to do was cheat on Dany with another woman. She deserved better than that.

Tara had linked her arm through his and was cuddled up to him. Seeing her wearing one of his hoodies over the top of her skinny jeans and black vest top, was a little comical but cute too, especially on her smaller female frame. She had been complaining, jokingly, that Florida felt cold compared to the island climate she had grown accustomed to. Mainlanders are so weird, how do they deal with these freezing temperatures? She had stated as she had raided his wardrobe. Their conversation ranged from one thing to another, not really talking about anything in particular. 

“A storm is heading this way, we better get back home.”

“How do you know?”

Tara grinned. “You're forgetting something. I'm an Islander. We get some bad ass storms in Hawaii so you get to know the signs. And you call yourself Samoan!” She rolled her eyes.

“Well, actually, I was born in California.”

“Excuses, excuses.”

Seeing the playful challenge, Dwayne jumped on the opportunity. “Am I going to have spank that cheeky butt of yours?”

A wicked grin crossed Tara's face. “I'd like to see you try!” With that, Tara sprinted back up the beach. She knew this probably would be futile, trying to outrun a former college football player, but she felt so damn happy at that moment that she didn't care. It wasn't long before he caught up with her and tackled her to the sand. With Dwayne straddled across her and her arms pinned above her head, there was no way Tara could escape. She put up a token struggle just for the sheer hell of it.

“You, missy, are getting far too cheeky for your own good.”

“What you gonna do about it? Rock Bottom? People's Elbow?”

With that Dwayne suddenly stood, yanking Tara up with him, and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her back home that way, with her laughing and wriggling to try and get away. “You really want to know? Okay, you're so in trouble now.” 

“Unhand me, you roughen!” Tara yelled between shrieks of laughter. “That's no way to treat a lady.”

“You? A lady? Could've fooled me,” Dwayne replied.

“Bastard!”

Dwayne laughed. Tara loved his laugh. It was so carefree and happy. Being upside down Tara had no idea where they were until she heard the front door being opened. Dwayne set her down on the floor but still had his hands on her waist. For the longest time, they just stared at each other. Tara felt butterflies buzzing around in her stomach. 

This is wrong! He's a married man. I can't let anything happen between us. Tara pulled away and, after making an excuse about being tired, she escaped to her bedroom.


	21. Chapter 21

Tara woke up the following morning feeling awkward about the evening before. Did she imagine it or was there that moment where it had felt like things were going beyond friendship between her and Dwayne? Tara sat up and sighed, rubbing her face. She didn't really need this complication right now. He was a married man and she had recently suffered a bereavement. The last thing Tara wanted was to get tangled up with a man – and a married one at that. Dwayne was her friend too. Tara wasn't sure she was prepared to risk ruining her friendship with him.

Dany didn't need to be a psychic to figure out something was bothering her husband. It also didn't take a genius to work out it was probably to do with Tara. Dwayne was sat at the kitchen table, looking lost in his own thoughts. She sat down in the chair nearest to him. It seemed as good a time as any to have that conversation. They had been ignoring the elephant in the room for too long.

“I think we need to talk,” Dany began.

Dwayne didn't need much prompting to know where Dany was going with this. But rather than jump the gun, he allowed her to talk. Dany told him that she felt their relationship had fizzled out. But at the same time she wasn't upset or angry. She had accepted that they had, in recent years, become more like friends than man and wife.

“I think you also feel a lot more for Tara than you're letting on.” Dwayne went to say something but Dany stopped him. “It's okay. I'm not mad. I think I figured out a while ago that you were in love with somebody else. I've just now come to terms with it. Honestly? I think I would rather you be with Tara and be happy; than to stay with me out of some misguided loyalty and make yourself unhappy. We would just end up hating each other.”

Dwayne sighed. “I'm sorry it ended up this way. I still love you but I'm not in love with you any more.......” He began.

“I know,” Dany replied. 

Their conversation was interrupted by their daughter, Simone, as she came running into the room. She was excited because she going to stay with her Grandparents – Dwayne's parents – for the weekend. Simone loved staying with them as she got spoiled rotten. Dany was going with her. Both she and Dwayne agreed they would talk about it more when she got back. But they both knew at that point it was the beginning of the end at that point. It was time to call it a day with their marriage and separate. Even though neither of them had foreseen this happening when they first married, they knew now it was for the best. Not just for themselves but for their child too. If they stayed together, things would probably become bitter and the last thing they wanted was to end up hating each other.

Dwayne didn't say anything to Tara for some time. Tara had enough on her plate, going back and forth between Miami and Tampa to see Teeny. The last thing she needed to be worried about was his impending divorce. So, the divorce went through quickly and quietly. It wasn't until it was announced officially in the press that Tara knew anything about it. At first she didn't know whether to be angry or upset – or a bit of both. 

“You've had enough to deal with. Teeny is your priority right now,” Dwayne told her, when Tara had brought it up one evening. “But I'm sorry you had to find out through the press. The right opportunity to tell you in person never seemed to come up.”

Tara pouted slightly. “Okay, I'll let it go this time. But only because punching you would probably hurt me more than it would you. And Teeny wants me to stay in one piece for the birth.”

"Really, I'm genuinely sorry, I feel like crap for not telling you myself."

Tara was going to be Teeny's birthing partner, which was a terrifying prospect for her. It seemed like Teeny's due date was getting closer and it was approaching far too quickly. Along with supporting Dwayne and Dany during their divorce – it just seemed that everything was happening at once. Tara pushed her feelings for Dwayne to one side for the time being. With everything else that way going on, she didn't want to be making things more complicated. For now, she would keep it on a friendship level. Maybe later she would think about where things were going.

The following May seemed to speed around all too quickly. Teeny's baby was due. Tara wasn't sure who was more nervous – Teeny or herself. Tara had no experience with babies or childbirth and she didn't know what to expect. It was a long thirty six hours before her daughter was finally born. Tara was overwhelmed with love for the child; this little girl who was the last connection to her older brother. She felt incredibly sad - Brian should have been there to meet his daughter. But Tara made herself promise that she would tell the child all about her father at every opportunity.


	22. Chapter 22

It was a while before Tara and Dwayne saw each other again in person. They still kept in contact via telephone. It seemed like they were both ignoring the huge elephant in the room and were both using whatever excuse they could to not discuss what had nearly happened between them. Tara was also so caught up in helping Teeny raise her child that, sometimes, she forgot about the incident occasionally.

One day Dwayne eventually decided to visit her. He had finally thought it was about time he saw Tara and tried to have the discussion about the subject they seemed to be avoiding. Dwayne told Tara that he had visited on the pretense of seeing the new baby and generally wanting to see how Tara was. He eventually talked her into going for a walk with him along the beach. They talked about nothing in particular apart from the new baby.

His inner voice started jumping up and down. Just tell her, you moron!! Dwayne looked over at Tara as she looked out to sea, obviously lost in some thought or another. 

“Tara, there's something I really need to say to you..... and I fear that, if I don't say it now, I never will and I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it.” Tara snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him expectantly, letting go of his arm. Dwayne continued. “You are the most incredible woman I've ever met. You're not just beautiful, you're smart and funny and, unlike some women I could mention, you don't take any shit from anyone and you have the balls to stand up to people, even if it could get you fired. This is going to sound completely crazy, wild even, but......I love you and I want us to be together.” 

Tara couldn't quite believe what she had just heard. Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, one of the biggest stars in modern pop culture and her best and closest friend was admitting that he was in love with her. And, at that moment in time, he looked so vulnerable, having just poured his heart out and was no doubt desperately hoping she wouldn't break his heart by saying she wasn't interested. 

She took a deep, steadying breath before moving in closer to him, standing up on her tiptoes slightly, Tara wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him. Feeling his arms close around her, Tara felt she could stay caught up in that moment forever. It just felt so right, more than it ever had with Jeff Hardy. Maybe it was because they had allowed themselves to get to know each other as friends, whereas with Jeff, it had been more an impulse thing. 

They walked back to the house together. Teeny had obviously gone to bed as she wasn't up when they returned. They began kissing again. She felt Dwayne pull her in closer and a hand gently grab her backside. He wanted her, there was no doubt about that. Tara pulled back slightly. A moment of panic set in and she wasn't sure if she felt ready to be intimate with anyone just yet. Her abdominal scars still made her self conscious and she suddenly started to worry that Dwayne would be put off by them. But he wouldn't be that shallow, would he?

Dwayne, seeming to understand her hesitation, let her go and put his hands on her upper arms. “We don't have to do anything you don't want to.”

Tara dropped her gaze. “It's not that......It's just that – my scars...........” 

"You feel weird about people seeing them, don't you," Dwayne said. Tara nodded without saying a word. He seemed to be thinking about something for a brief moment then asked, “may I see them? Your scars?”

Hesitantly, Tara took off her hoodie. She paused, as if debating whether or not to remove her vest top. Taking her hand, Dwayne walked over to the couch, sat down and pulled Tara round to stand in front of him. He placed his hands at the hem of her top and pushed it up to reveal her abdomen. Despite her feelings, Tara trusted him enough to let him do so. There they were, her scars from the knife attack and the surgery that had been performed to save her life. To her they looked horrible and made her feel ugly, but to Dwayne, he felt the opposite. He kissed her abdomen gently and then pulled her towards him so that she ended up straddling his lap. He wasn't put off by her scars. Tara was relieved and she didn't stop him from removing her vest top and when he began to unbutton and remove her jeans.

“This really isn't fair, you know, you're still fully clothed,” Tara teased, feeling slightly breathless.

Grinning, Dwayne replied, "so you want me naked now, do you?"

With Tara's help, Dwayne removed his clothes. Kissing her again, Dwayne lowered her onto the floor. He was at the point of being so aroused, it was becoming uncomfortable. The last of their clothing were cast aside and they made love there on the floor of the front room. 

The following morning they woke to the most stunning sunshine flooding into the bedroom. Tara didn't really remember how they ended up in his bed but, at at that moment, she didn't care. She hadn't felt this good for a long time. Tara continued to gaze out of the window at the sunshine. She and Dwayne were lying in a spooning position, Dwayne's arms wrapped around her from behind.

"So, does this mean we're together now?" Dwayne asked gently from behind her.

Tara hestitated. "I guess so. If that's what you want."

"I would like that alot."

They lay in bed for a while longer, just enjoying the feel of their bodies being so close together. Evenutally Dwayne climbed out of bed and sauntered across Tara's bedroom, gathering up his discarded clothes from the night before that had been left on the small armchair in Tara's room. Tara stayed where she was and watched him. Dwayne just seemed so sure of himself, still full of the old swagger and was obviously very comfortable in his own skin. He certainly wasn't bothered about the fact he was walking around the bedroom completely naked in her company with her sister-in-law only feet away in another room.

Teeny was in the kitchen when the two of them finally made their way downstairs. She grinned but didn't say a word and went back to feeding the baby. Tara walked Dwayne to the door. Once he had gone, Tara returned to the kitchen. 

"I take it you two finally got your act togther then," Teeny inquired.

Tara grabbed the coffee pot and made a milky coffee. "Perhaps........" She took a deep drink from the mug. She saw Teeny was looking at her from the other side of the table. Rolling her eyes, Tara said, "yes, okay, we are."


	23. Chapter 23

Her relationship with Dwayne turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. In a funny sort of way, it helped her get over her grief. It gave her another focus, alongside Teeny and her niece; another reason to care about life. The pain of Brian's death never fully went away but, as time went by, it became a little easier to live with. It didn't stop her from missing him every single day.

As the months went by, Tara eventually agreed to move in permanently with Dwayne. Tara had originally been reluctant to go until Teeny told her that she would be fine on her own. Teeny promised her that she would call Tara if she ever needed her. With both her own parents around to help and Tara's parents now back on the scene to help, Teeny would hardly be alone to bring up her child.

They took the relationship slowly. Although they didn't regret the night they ended up having sex and waking up in bed together; Tara didn't want to rush things between them either. So, for a while, Dwayne wooed her the old fashioned way by taking her for dinner and buying her gifts and flowers. He loved her and he was happy to oblige her if it made me happy.

Eventually, Tara decided she would return to wrestling. It was 2009 and it felt weird for her with so many new faces around. She struck up a friendship with two of the newer ladies, Mickie James and Maryse Ouellet. Despite their different backgrounds, the three of them just seemed to hit it off. The two younger women had a great deal of respect for Tara, as a performer. They had a great time wrestling together and having wonderful storylines and onscreen fueds.

Tara took part in the Divas battle royal at Wrestlemania 25. Even though she didn't win that night, Tara didn't care. The most important thing was that her parents were there. It was first time ever that they had attended an event where she was wrestling. Her parents who for years had criticised her career choice and not taken the slightest interest in her life. No, their relationship wasn't perfect but it was finally heading in the right direction. The only part that made Tara sad was that it had taken the death of their eldest child to make them finally quit being so stubborn.

Wrestlemania was followed by a fued with Divas champion Maryse, ending with Tara finally winning the belt from the younger woman. She held the title on an off over the next couple of years, beating and dropping it to the women who were on the roster at the time. As time went on, Tara noticed that wrestling was beginning to take its toll on her body and she began contemplating the idea of retiring. She was back at the top of her game and Tara felt she would rather retire whilst she was still on top; rather than fizzle out and the fans forget about her.

Dwayne's movie career was beginning to take off and Dwayne and Tara lived together happily and quietly. Dany and Tara became very good friends and Simone thought Tara was pretty cool. Dwayne's family liked Tara from the get-go. Ata, Dwayne's mother, would always fuss over Tara whenever she visited. Not that Tara minded. In fact she kind of liked it in a funny sort of way. She had never had it from her own mother. It was nice to finally have a parent figure in her life who finally seemed to care.

They kept their relationship quiet from their colleagues in the WWE, and from the public, for some time. Tara had always been an extremely private person and she didn't want all the attention that would go with dating someone like Dwayne. With everything that Tara had gone through, they wanted to enjoy their relationship in private. She knew exactly what people would think if they heard Tara was dating an up and coming, and already popular, movie star and an already sucessful wrestler.

It was 2011 when Tara finally took the difficult decision to retire due the effects her broken neck injury and the stabbing had finally taken on her body. She was also now 37 years old; 'old' in the showbiz and sporting worlds. The new wrestlers on the roster seemed to get younger and younger every year. She knew that it would start to get difficult for her to keep up with the young blood. Retiring whilst she still had her faculties, her health and her popularity was the better thing for her to do.

Dwayne had been gently trying to convince Tara to retire for a little while. He had noticed that she was finding the physical side of the job difficult as time went on. It was a couple of weeks before Wrestlemania and they were on holiday, in Hawaii, when they had discussed her possible retirement and the implications of him being the only - and main - bread winner in their relationship. They were relaxing by the hotel swimming pool, on sun loungers under large sun umbrellas.

"I really don't have a problem with looking after you, you know," Dwayne said lightheartedly. "It's not like I can't afford it and, with everything you've had to deal with, would it hurt to let someone take care of you for a change?"

Taking a sip of her cocktail, Tara shrugged. "I guess not." She couldn't help but let herself smile back. Being in Hawaii - her home island - just seemed to make everything seem so clear and simple for the first time in years.

Wrestlemania 27 was Tara's final match where she dropped the championship to Beth Phoenix in a Triple Threat match againt her and Kelly Kelly. Tara hugged the the two women in the ring after the match and thanked them for making her last match son a great one. It was an emtional night for Tara. But it was the right decison to make. Tara made her retirement speech on RAW the following night. She thanked the fans for their support over the years and for making her career so wonderful. Tara didn't even attempt to stop herself from crying that night.

The biggest moment in Tara's life came later that week when Dwayne finally plucked up the courage to propose to her. He left it a couple of days before asking her as Tara had been feeling a little delicate after her retirement speech. The evening he decided to propose, Dwayne made her dinner to - in his words - make her feel better after what had happened. They talked about everyday stuff for a while before Dwayne took a deep breath and went down on one knee. Tara was left speechless for a few moments before she found her voice again and accepted.


	24. Chapter 24

The first person Tara told she was engaged was Teeny. Her sister-in-law was delighted and wasn't the least bit surprised that Dwayne had proposed to her.

"I think I always knew that he loved you," Teeny said during their telephone conversation. "I know that sounds crazy but it's true. There was just something about the way he acted around you whenever you were together. It was only a matter of time before he asked you to marry him."

Dwayne's family were over the moon about the engagement. Over the next few months, their life became a crazy whirl of wedding plans and the media going berzerk of Dwayne becoming engaged after getting divorced just four years before. Dwayne let the media have their moment. Dany, Simone and the rest of his family weren't the least bit upset over him becoming engaged to another woman. As Dany had said herself, she would rather Dwayne be happy with Tara; than to have stayed with her out of misguided loyalty and be miserable.

By now, everyone in the WWE knew they were together; and were very impressed that they had managed to keep their relationship quiet for as long as they had, esepcially as Dwayne was a movie star. Nothing every seemed to stay private with the media. But Tara had had years of practice at keeping work and her private life seperate. It was a talent both she and Brian had possessed - an uncanny ability to keep their relationships to themselves. It was only when he had gotten married that a lot of people had known he was seeing someone.

Tara couldn't quite believe that she was engaged. Not only that she was engaged to the man she considered her best friend. When they had first met all those years before, Tara never thought that they would have ended up thinking about getting married. She hadn't thought that Brian and her friend, Luna Vachon, wouldn't be there to see her get engaged. Tara suddenly felt incredibly sad. Here she was, planning her wedding and the two of them wouldn't be there to celebrate with her.

Luna Vachon had passed away after an overdose, the previous year in August 2010; only eight months after she had lost her home and all of her possesions in a fire. When Tara had heard, she had called her friend and offered to help her out in any way she could. Luna had been over the moon when she heard Tara was dating Dwayne and had gused about how he was so right for her. She had also been very impressed that she had kept it quiet from her for so long; but she had respected Tara's reasons when she had explained that she had wanted to see if it would last the distance before she told too many people.

It was then that Tara had realised that everyone seemed to have guessed that the Samoan had been in love with her for some time. Maybe it was because she was naturally oblivious to such things that had caused her not to pick up on it.

"So, am I the last one to know, then?" Tara had asked.

Luna's adorable laugh cackled down the telephone. "Yes, I think you are."

Tara hadn't really wanted to deal with another funeral only three years after her brother had died. But there she was, attending her best friend's funeral at the ranch that had once been owned by Andre the Giant. Her parents were so pleased to see her there. Luna had always spoken so highly of Tara.

Tara sighed and went back to looking at wedding dresses online. Dwayne walked into the kitchen and saw Tara seemed to look a little distracted. He knew well enough that Tara was feeling somewhat down after losing her best friend. He enquired if she had found a suitable dress before leaving her alone. Tara just found she was unable to concentrate and closed the laptop. Walking up behind Dwayne, Tara wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his back.

"You feeling okay, babydoll?" Dwayne asked as he finished making Tara's latte.

"Yeah, fine, I think I'm just a little tired," she replied gently. "Weddings are more hard work than I thought."

"Are you sure that's the only thing bothering you?"

"I just wish Brian and Luna were still around to see me getting married. That's all."

Turning around and sweeping her up in a hug, he gently kissed Tara on the forehead. Tara rested her head on his chest. No matter how she tried to dress it up, Dwayne knew she was feeling sad.

"I'm sure, wherever they are, they're happy for you and very proud of you," Dwayne reassured her. "I know I didn't really know them all that well, but I know Luna always spoke very highly of you."

Their wedding took place after Wrestlemania 28 in 2012. They married on the beach in the Caribbean in front of close family and a few close friends. Tara wore a white dress with dark green, leaf style pattern on the bodice. She wore her hair up in a high ponytail, the ringlets trailing down her back. It was the biggest event of the year. The media went nuts over it especially when the couple refused to have any media involvement. They didn't even do a magazine deal. They agreed that it was their own private day with the people they loved.

A little while after, Tara was offered a job as a trainer for the WWE at their Florida training facility. Tara thought about it for a while before finally accepting the job. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she missed the wrestling world. Being a kept woman was all very well and good but Tara wanted to be doing something again. The time away from the ring did her good and Tara enjoyed her time back. At least this time the job wasn't quite as physical and she didn't spead months on the road away from everyone she loved.

It was tough with Dwayne being away so much, filming his movies. He would be gone for months at a time and Tara desperately missed him. During these times, Tara would spend time with Teeny and her niece, Lucy, whenever she had time off. One day Teeny asked her when she and Dwayne would be starting a family. After all, Tara wasn't getting any younger. She was approaching 39.

Up until then, Tara hadn't really thought about having children. After the whole thing with Jeff, a man she honestly thought she would have a family with, Tara hadn't really considered the whole children thing anymore. But now that she was married to Dwayne and settled in a beautiful - and huge - home in Miami, it started to creep into her mind. Tara and Dwayne discussed the idea of having a family. Although Dwayne already had a daughter from his first marriage, he loved the idea of having a child with Tara. Tara wasn't sure how easy it would be for her to fall pregnant, especially as she was leaving it late in life to get pregnant.

They decided that they wouldn't let age put them off at least trying. If they weren't successful naturally, they planned to go for either surrogacy or adoption. They were trying for nearly a year naturally. It wasn't always easy to find time to be intimate with the two of them working. They had a few false alarms which left Tara extremely disappointed.

Eventually, it happened. Tara hadn't been feeling right for a couple of weeks and her period was late. Tara suspected she might be pregnant but she was yet to take a test. She didn't want to say anything to Dwayne just in case it was another false alarm. Tara was stood in front of her bedroom mirror, looking at her abdomen. She stood side on and gently ran a hand over it. Dwayne, who was wondering where his wife had gotten to, entered the bedroom and saw the way she was acting.

"Are you..." He began to ask.

"I don't know," Tara replied, honestly.

Tara admitted to feeling sick and her period being late. Dwayne persuaded her to take a pregnancy test. Watching as the blue line appeared, Tara broke into a smile. It looked like they would finally become parents after all.


End file.
